


When Worlds Collide

by Skater2



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-29
Updated: 2016-04-13
Packaged: 2018-05-23 23:58:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 34
Words: 22,981
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6134476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skater2/pseuds/Skater2
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Everyone has a past – Some of them more unusual than others.  Or – How Dr. Spencer Reid came to speak such fluent Russian. </p><p>Many thanks to Annajadekin for suggesting the idea behind this story.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Prologue**

  
SSA Dr. Spencer Reid of the FBI’s elite Behavior Analysis Unit fought down his growing panic attack.

“Take a deep breath,” he told himself. “And relax. Nothing bad is going to happen.”

Deep down inside, he knew he was wrong.

It was early on a Monday morning and he was sitting at the round table in the team’s conference room doing his best not to panic and jump to conclusions. Just because the case Garcia had just finished presenting to the team was located in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, didn’t mean that his past was going to catch up with him. It just meant that he was going to have to take extra precautions to make sure that it didn’t. After all, it had been several years and how many of the people involved would still be in the area? And, even if they were, what were the odds that they would remember an insignificant flight attendant named Stefan Mrazek?

 

**And The Adventure Begins**

 

“Reid?” Hotch was calling him and, judging from the tone of his voice, it wasn’t the first time. “Reid – Your thoughts?”

Reid took another deep breath and quickly scanned the paper copy of the case file that Garcia had prepared for him. “I think it is obvious that these individuals aren’t members of the Russian mob,” he began. “None of them appear to have any of the tattoos or missing fingers that are hallmarks of that group.”

“But they still could have crossed the mob,” Morgan pointed out. “They wouldn’t need to be a member to do that.”

“If that’s the case, there would be some indication of a mob connection, no matter how tenuous, in their background,” JJ told him. “And, there isn’t any. The only thing they have in common is the way they were killed.”

“As far as I can tell all three of the victims are almost squeaky clean,” Garcia reported. “The first victim, Petr Fedorovich was a retired letter carrier. He had a few parking tickets over the years, but that’s about it. The second, Maria Anatoly, was a full time wife and mother, and I can’t find any run ins with the law for her – Nada – Nothing. The third, Ivan Novotny, worked for a local trucking company making deliveries to stores and businesses in the area. Now, he does have a couple of moving violations on his driver’s license but, again, nothing serious and nothing that would tie him to the mob.“

“As for their moving in the same social circles, I can’t find anything there either. They may have walked down the same streets at one time or another, and they probably did, but that’s about it. And their families all check out, too.”

“The letter carrier,” Rossi began. “I assume you have checked his route?”

“I have traced all the routes he was assigned to over the years,” Garcia assured him. “And, none of them appear to go anywhere near what the local police consider to be ‘Russian Mafia Territory’.“

“But, did he ever substitute for any other carriers?” Rossi continued. “I know my brother-in-law said he had to do that from time to time.”

“Let me check on substituting,” Garcia wrote a note on her pad. “And, I will get back to you on that.”

“As for the method of killing,” Blake was paging through the file on her tablet. “It appears to be pretty – Efficient.”

“Each victim was stabbed at the base of their skull with a long, sharp object,” Morgan was studying the pictures. “That means that the unsub would have had to have come up behind them.”

“Either they were extremely quiet or they moved very quickly or the victims trusted them,” Blake commented.

“There doesn’t seem to be any preference as far as sex or age is concerned,” JJ pointed out. “And no signs of sexual assault.”

“None of the three are particularly young,” Hotch observed. “Although, only the first victim, Petr Fedorovich, could be considered to be old. That would appear to rule out the possibility that they met their attacker during a night out clubbing.”

“Well, the Brighton Beach police have officially invited my favorite crime fighters in,” Garcia announced as she closed down the flat screen with its pictures of the victims and the crime scenes.

“Even though there isn’t any evidence pointing to the Russian mob being involved, they are concerned that these murders may stir up some hidden resentments,” Hotch explained as he stood up. “Wheels up in 30, everyone. And, Reid, I would like to see you in my office before we leave.”


	2. Chapter 2

“You wanted to see me?” It was a short time later and Reid was standing in the doorway of Hotch’s office.

“Yes, please, come in and close the door.” Hotch looked up from the paperwork he was busily packing for their trip.

“Reid, is something wrong?” he asked once the agent was inside his office with the door shut. “I couldn’t help but notice that you didn’t have much to say about the case, and that’s not like you.”

“No, nothing’s wrong,” Reid quickly told him. “I guess I was just – thinking.”

“If you say so,” Hotch replied doubtfully. “But, you do know that if something is bothering you, you can always come to me and talk about it, don’t you?”

“Yes - Of course,” Reid was studying at his feet as he spoke. “Is that all?” He looked up at Hotch.

“For now,” Hotch didn’t sound convinced. “Why don’t you finish gathering up your things and I’ll see you on the plane?”

As he watched, Reid quickly turned, opened the office door, and fled back towards the bullpen.

**~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~**

“All right my most favorite group of crime fighters.” Hotch’s team had been in the air about half an hour and Garcia was checking in via computer with her latest update.

“I have continued checking on our victims,” she told the team. “And, I hate to tell you this, but I still can’t find any connection, either to the mob or between the three individuals. They all lived and were apparently targeted in different parts of Brighton Beach. And, while their bodies were moved after they had been killed, they weren’t moved very far. Just enough to stash them out of sight.”

“However, it does appear that they were meant to be found,” Blake commented as she again looked at the crime scene photos.

“A warning for someone, perhaps?” Rossi suggested.

“What is the word on the murder weapon, Baby Girl?” Morgan asked. “Any guesses?”

“Something long and narrow,” Garcia appeared to be reading off another screen. “Other than that the coroner really isn’t making any guesses.”

“Nothing has been found?” JJ verified.

“Nothing,” Garcia confirmed. “Although the local detective tells me that they are still searching.”

“And still no ties to the Russian Mob?” Hotch questioned.

“Again, and I hate to say it, but the answer is No,” Garcia sighed. “I’m sorry, folks, but I seem to be striking out all over the place on this one.”

“Hang in there, Mama,” Morgan cheered her on. “I have faith in you.”

“Reid?” Garcia spoke up. “Are you there?”

“Yes?” Reid questioned.

“It’s just that I haven’t heard from you,” Garcia worried. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, Garcia - Just fine,” was the assurance.

“Okay, my most favorite genius. Well, in that case, I am off to scour the internet. I’ll let you know as soon as I find anything.” Garcia clicked off.

“Spence, are you feeling okay?” JJ worried. “Garcia is right, you’ve been awfully quiet today.”

“I’m fine. Maybe just a little tired,” Reid murmured.

“Well, why don’t you close your eyes and try to get some rest?” JJ suggested. “This is a short flight, but you should be able to manage a cat nap.”

Reid smiled and nodded at her before putting his head back and closing his eyes.


	3. Chapter 3

_He knew he was looking for something, frantically digging through the various cabinets in the galley area of the jumbo jet as it flew through the air. As he dug through the various supply cabinets, he knew that there was someone he needed to warn. Katya – Where was Katya? He slammed the cabinet doors shut and locked them before rushing down the nearest aisle, heading towards the back of the plane. He barely glanced at the passengers as he rushed past them, his focus on the back galley area. Katya –He needed to warn her!!!_

“Spence?” Someone was shaking him. “Spence, wake up! Are you okay?”

As he fought to open his eyes, Reid realized that he was on the BAU jet and that it was JJ’s concerned voice he was hearing.

“Oh!” He shook himself awake. “What?” He looked around the cabin as he licked his dry lips.

“You were scaring us, Man,” Morgan spoke up from across the aisle.

“I think you were having a bad dream,” Blake suggested.

“Sorry,” Reid muttered.

“We’re getting ready to land,” JJ told him. “Why don’t you fasten your seatbelt and then, once we are on the ground, you can stand up and move around. That should clear your head and after you get some fresh air, you’ll feel better.”

As Reid squirmed around fastening his seatbelt, he noticed that both Hotch and Rossi were giving him concerned looks.

After the team had disembarked and was walking across the tarmac to the waiting black SUVs, Rossi caught up with him.

“Reid, you do know that if something is bothering you, you can come to me, don’t you?” he asked. “And, I do mean anything.”

“Thanks, Rossi,” Reid replied. “But, everything is okay.”

“If you say so.” Rossi didn’t sound convinced.

**~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~**

“So, what do you think?” Blake asked as she drove the SUV towards the Brighton Beach City Morgue.

Reid looked over at her, puzzled.

“About the case,” she clarified. “You have been so quiet that I assumed you have been thinking deep thoughts about it and coming up with some brilliant conclusions.”

“I do have some ideas,” Reid confirmed. “But, I don’t have anything to back them up yet.”

“Well, let’s see if the coroner can help you with that,” Blake said as she turned the vehicle into the parking lot.

“Doctors Blake and Reid.” It wasn’t long before Blake was introducing the agents to the local coroner.

“The FBI sent me Two doctors?” he asked in surprise. “Must be an important case.”

The two agents exchanged glances. “Actually, we are PhDs,” Blake confessed with a smile. “But, you are right, this case is important to us - As are all of our cases.”

“If there is a serial killer out there, we need to catch them before they claim yet another victim,” Reid added.

“So, what can you tell us about the three victims?” Blake accepted the file the doctor handed her and began examining it.

“It would appear that the only thing they have in common is their manner of death,” the coroner reported. “As far as I can determine, they were all in good health and going about their daily lives when someone stabbed them at the base of their skull. The instrument went directly into their brain stem, killing them instantly.”

He pulled the sheet back from the most recent victim and tilted the head so the agents could see what he was talking about.

“Would you need any specialized knowledge to do this?” Reid asked as he bent over to take a closer look at the wound.

“Not particularly,” the coroner replied. “However, it would take some practice to get it right the first time, every time, like this guy seems to be doing. There is a slight upward angle that he would have needed to master.”

“So, you are saying that he has had some practice,” Blake suggested.

“Most likely,” was the reply. “Although this is the first time I have seen anything like this, I wouldn’t be surprised to find out he has done some practicing elsewhere.”

“And you still have no clue as to what weapon is being used,” Reid stated.

“Long and narrow with a sharp tip is the best I can do,” the coroner replied. “If you find something, bring it by and I can check and let you know.”

“Thanks,” Blake closed the file and handed it back to the coroner. “You’ve been a big help.”


	4. Chapter 4

“It doesn’t look like Rossi and Morgan are back from checking out the latest crime site,” Blake observed as she parked the black SUV in the police department’s parking lot. “However, I am sure that Hotch and JJ have finished interviewing the locals and have us all set up.”

“Are you coming?” She was standing next to the vehicle looking in at Reid, who was still sitting in the passenger’s seat.

“In just a minute,” Reid told her. “I want to – hem – m - m – look over some paperwork first.” He patted his messenger bag.

“Okay,” Blake gave him a puzzled look. “See you inside.”

The minute Blake turned her back to walk towards the station, Reid went to work. He first popped out his contact lenses and put on a pair of glasses with dark, heavy, frames. Next, he tilted his head forward and pulled his longish hair into his face. He then flipped his head back and shook it. The result was that his hair now hung partially over his face, looking even more disarrayed than usual. Then, he dug through his go bag and took out an oversized tweed sports coat which he pulled on over top of his dress shirt and vest, adding bulk to his slender frame. Finally, he loosened his tie and pulled it to an untidy angle while unbuttoning the top button of his shirt. He regretted the fact that he had shaved that morning, but figured that his usual light stubble really wouldn’t have made much of a difference. Slowly, he climbed out of the SUV and headed towards the building.

“Reid, I was just telling Hotch and JJ what we found at the – the – coroner’s – “ Blake’s voice drifted off as she noticed his new ‘look’.

“My – my contact lenses were bothering me,” Reid improvised, as Hotch and JJ both gave him concerned looks.

“So I see,” Hotch commented dryly.

“Okay – Here we are, fresh from the trenches,” Rossi announced as he and Morgan walked through the door of the conference room that had been set up for the BAU team to use.

“Or, rather, the trash bin,” Morgan added, sniffing the sleeve of his shirt. “I need to change!”

He skidded to a stop and stared at Reid. “One of the coroner’s customers was giving him a hard time and you had to help out?” he guessed with a smirk.

“Um – m – No,” Reid stuttered.

“Agent Hotchner,” the lead detective walked into the conference room. “I see the rest of your team has arrived.”

“Yes,” Hotch replied. “These are Agents Rossi and Morgan.” He indicated the two men. “Also, Doctors Blake and Reid.” He turned to nod towards the two professors.

“This is Detective Behrs,” he told his team. “He’s in charge of this investigation.”

“I hope you’ll excuse us for not shaking,” Rossi held up his hands. “We have been combing through the most recent dump site.”

“I understand completely,” the detective grinned. “Done that myself on more than one occasion.”

“Dr. Reid,” he looked over at the young agent. “Do I know you from somewhere? You look familiar.”

Reid fought back a feeling of panic as he tried to casually answer. “No, I don’t think so.”

“Now, if you’ll excuse me,” he added as he quickly moved towards the far side of the room where the evidence boards had been set up. “I need to get to work on the geographic profile.”

“Dr. Reid is our map expert,” Hotch explained. “He’s the one who helps us narrow down the area we need to search in order to locate the unsub.”

**~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~**

It was almost midnight when Hotch finally called a halt. “We have had a long day,” he told the team. “And, we’ll probably do better in the morning after everyone has had a good night’s sleep. Let’s head for the hotel.”

“You won’t get any argument from me,” JJ replied as she began gathering up her papers and files. “Spence?” She looked over at Reid, who was standing and staring at the map.

“I’m on my way,” he assured her as he turned to grab his messenger bag and then hurried through the station and out to the SUVs.

“What’s the deal with him?” Rossi asked. “I haven’t heard anything from him in hours. He hasn’t even bothered to give us the Census Bureau statistics on Brighton Beach.“

“I don’t know,” Hotch replied thoughtfully. “Blake?” He looked over at her.

“I have no idea - He didn’t say anything when he was with me,” she replied. “And, as Rossi just said, he has been unusually quiet.”

“Somebody needs to talk with Pretty Boy,” Morgan suggested. “If nothing else, convince him to get out of the horrible looking tweed jacket.”

“Let me see what I can do,” Hotch said resignedly.

“If you need any help,” Rossi offered, smothering a yawn.

“Thanks, Dave, I’ll keep that in mind.”


	5. Chapter 5

“Reid,” Hotch called out as he knocked on Reid’s hotel room door a short time later. “Reid.”

“Hotch?” Reid cautiously opened the door and then glanced both ways down the hallway. 

Hotch noticed that while Reid had shed the bulky tweed jacket he still had his hair mussed up, covering parts of his face.

“May I come in?” Hotch asked. “I think we need to talk.”

“No – No need to talk,” Reid tried to close the door but discovered that Hotch’s foot was in the way.

“We need to talk!” Hotch insisted as he pushed the door further open and walked into the hotel room.

“About what?” Reid squeaked as he quickly shut the door.

“You – And the way you have been acting,” Hotch replied. “Spencer, I can tell something’s bothering you. Maybe, if you tell me about it, I can help.”

“No,” Reid sank down to sit on the edge of the bed and buried his head in his hands. “You can’t help. It’s all over and done with and there isn’t anything anyone can do about it.”

“Try me,” Hotch challenged. “All I ask is that you give me a chance.”

“I can’t talk about it,” Reid insisted, looking up at his boss. “It’s classified and I was specifically instructed to never discuss it with anyone - Ever!”

“Classified?” Hotch questioned. “By whom – The DOD, Homeland Security, Navel Intelligence, Who? You know I have clearance with all of them.”

“None of those,” Reid replied evasively. 

“That leaves – The CIA,” Hotch realized slowly. “Reid, when were you mixed up with them?”

“I can’t tell you anything,” Reid insisted again.

“I have clearance,” Hotch repeated, hoping that Reid wouldn’t ask for proof. “But, let me start by making a guess. You are obviously hiding from someone - You speak fluent Russian - And the murders we are investigating may lead us to the Russian mob. Is the person you are afraid of part of the Russian mob?”

“Talk to me Spencer – Let me see if I can help!”

“If that’s what you want,” Reid sighed resignedly. “You had better sit down and make yourself comfortable, Hotch. This is going to take a while.”


	6. Chapter 6

“It all started around the time I completed my second PhD,” Reid began his story as soon as Hotch had settled comfortably into one of the room’s easy chairs. “I was pretty unsettled and had no idea what I wanted to do with my life when I was approached by a – Man – Who claimed to be from the CIA.”

“The CIA,” Hotch repeated. “Who was he and what in heaven’s name did they want with you?”

“He just told me to call him ‘The Colonel’,” Reid reported. “And, as I found out later, he had a variety of pseudonyms that he used in his work. He began by asking me how much Russian I knew. I explained that because my PhD Thesis Advisor was originally from Russia, I had picked up a fair amount of the language. He then began to give me the standard recruiting talk about serving my country and all that rhetoric.”

“He was trying to recruit you,” Hotch assumed.

“Oh, Yes,” Reid confirmed. “However, because of my mother and her paranoia about the government and their spying on innocent civilians, I wasn’t particularly susceptible to it.”

“When he realized that that approach wasn’t going to work, The Colonel then proceeded to tell me all about my mother and her problems, and to suggest that if I were to cooperate with the CIA he would make sure that she was treated by the best doctors available, as well as make arrangements to help pay for her continued care. From what he said, it was obvious that the CIA had had me under surveillance for quite some time.”

“That appealed to you,” Hotch guessed. “The part about your mother, I mean.”

“It did,” Reid admitted. “I had always known that my mom was going to need extensive care for the rest of her life and he was offering me a way to make sure that it happened.”

“So, you asked for further details,” Hotch said.

“He knew he had my interest then,” Reid continued. “So, he proceeded to make the assignment sound really easy. I just had to take a quick course to improve my spoken Russian and then another course on what he vaguely described as ‘Safety and Courtesy’. Then, I would be assigned to a civilian-type job where all I had to do was keep my eyes and ears open, remember what I heard and saw, and report back either to him or to one of his subordinates.”

“He was going to set you up to spy on someone,” Hotch assumed.

“As it turned out, a group of someones,” Reid replied. “After I agreed to his terms and made sure there was a trust fund set up to pay for my mom’s care, I spent the next three months improving my Russian and learning how to be a flight attendant.”

“A Flight Attendant?” Hotch repeated, surprised. “You mean like on an airplane?”

“That’s right,” Reid confirmed. “They gave me a new identity and, before I knew it, Stefan Mrazek had been hired as a flight attendant by an international airline, working their regular flights between JFK in New York and Sheremetyevo in Moscow. As I found out later, the CIA suspected that illegal drugs were coming into the US on these flights and were being used to purchase stolen US national intelligence information. They just didn’t know who the person or persons involved were, nor did they have any evidence against them. That was what I was supposed to find out for them.”

“So, this ‘Colonel’, whoever he was, sent an uninformed civilian into a potentially dangerous situation with no back-up?” Hotch was outraged. “What the **$%^ &*** was he thinking?”

“I don’t think he considered the situation to be particularly dangerous,” Reid explained. “And, it wasn’t – Not really. I had worked several flights, going back and forth without hearing or seeing anything out of the ordinary, and had gotten acquainted with several of the other flight attendants who regularly worked that route, when The Colonel called me in for a ‘debriefing’.”

“I am guessing he had someone specific he was asking about,” Hotch said.

“I wasn’t as proficient in behavior analysis or human psychology as I am now,” Reid replied sadly. “So, I just tried to answer the questions he was asking as best as I could. I honestly hadn’t seen or heard anything unusual, but he just kept on pounding away at me insisting I must have seen or heard something.”

“And, some of the people he asked about lived here in Brighton Beach and were related to members of the Russian Mafia,” Hotch guessed.

“Like Katya,” Reid was close to tears. “She was just a kid who gotten her job because she was from a Russian speaking family. She and I had talked a lot and she told me how she was planning on working for a few years and then quitting to go back to college. She wanted to be a primary school teacher. And, I couldn’t help her – I couldn’t!!”

“Was she one of the ones The Colonel was asking about?” Hotch asked.

“He didn’t seem to be focused on her,” Reid remembered. “He just mentioned her in passing and then moved on to some of the other crew members.”

“What happened next?” Hotch asked.

“Well, on the next flight to Moscow I could tell that something was going on,” Reid continued. “For a starter, I was assigned the First Class cabin where previously I had been working at the back of the plane. When I asked, the head flight attendant told me that he thought I needed the experience of working in First Class.”

“What did the other crew members think of that?” Hotch was curious.

“A couple of them weren’t happy,” Reid reported. “And I overheard some complaints. However, Andy didn’t back down and pointed out that he was in charge of the crew and that his decision was final.”

“Andy?” Hotch questioned.

“Anatoli Behrs,” Reid explained. “He went by the name Andy.”

“Behrs?” Hotch repeated. “Like the name of the detective in charge of this case?”

“Yes,” Reid replied. “I don’t know if he is related or not, but I strongly suspect that he is. Anyway, the flight to Moscow went without a hitch, although several of the flight attendants seemed to be jumpier than usual. We landed on time and, once the crew had completed our paperwork, we headed for our hotel.”

“After we had eaten, everyone went up to their rooms.” Reid continued. “However, after trying for 43 minutes and 17 seconds to fall asleep, I finally gave up and went downstairs, intending to go outside for a walk. When I went out the front door of the hotel, I looked down the street and that’s when I saw him.”

“Saw who?” Hotch asked.

“One of the other flight attendants,” Reid replied. “His name was Sergey, and he is the one I had replaced in the first class section. As I stood in the doorway watching, another man came up to him. It appeared that he had come out of another doorway or possibly an ally way. They stood and talked for a minute or so, and then Sergey walked off down the street with him. I’m sure neither of them saw me.”

“And then?” Hotch prompted.

“The next day, Sergey didn’t show up for the return flight,” Reid reported. “And Andy was really upset. He had to get on the phone and call in a local back-up attendant, which delayed the flight. The replacement was a man named Dmitri and I had never seen him before. From what the other crew members said, he wasn’t particularly popular with them. Apparently, for some reason, they didn’t trust him.”

“Did you ever see Sergey again?” Hotch asked.

“Never,” was the reply. “And the others I spoke with were really worried about him. I assume a police report of some sort was filed by the airline with the Moscow police.”

“So, you got back to New York,” Hotch assumed.

“That’s right,” Reid continued. “The flight was late arriving, but other than that it was uneventful. However, several times during the flight I did see Dmitri in areas where I didn’t think he should be. I wondered about it but I never mentioned it to anyone because I was too busy with my own duties. I only wish that I had.”

“Something happened?” Hotch asked.

“Oh Yes – ” Reid stopped and drew a deep breath. “Something happened.”


	7. Chapter 7

“We were on the shuttle bus, on our way to the employees’ parking lot when it happened,” Reid stopped to draw a shaky breath before continuing. “I remember that Katya was sitting across the aisle and up one row from me. I had just – “ he stopped and drew another deep breath.

“I had just worked up the courage to ask her if she would meet me for coffee after we got our vehicles,” he continued. “She was smiling and saying ‘Yes’ when a beat-up white van seemingly came out of nowhere and hit the front of the shuttle - Hard. Everyone was pretty shook up and we were busy picking ourselves up off the floor and checking to make sure that everyone else was okay, so no one was paying any attention to what was going on with the van.”

“The collision was deliberate,” Hotch stated.

“Apparently,” Reid agreed. “Because, before any of us realized what was happening, three armed men, wearing ski masks, had rushed the door of the shuttle and forced their way on board. At the time, they appeared to be shooting at random. However, now that I think about it, I think that they were targeting certain people. Also, I remember them grabbing two of the crew members, Dmitri and Elizabeth, and forcing them to leave with them.”

“While this was happening, what did you do?” Hotch asked.

“Like everyone else, I crouched down between the seats and tried to make myself as small as possible,” Reid told him. “I didn’t even try to help her!”

“Katya?” Hotch guessed. “What happened to her?”

“I was grazed by a bullet and passed out,” Reid explained. “When I came to, medics had boarded the shuttle and were busy stabilizing everyone and getting them loaded onto ambulances. When I asked about Katya, they told me she had already been taken to the hospital.”

“When I arrived at the hospital, The Colonel was there and, when I asked about Katya, he told me rather brusquely that she hadn’t made it. He then proceeded to tell me that my assignment was over and that I was going to be reassigned immediately.”

“He just moved you on to another assignment?” Hotch asked amazed.

“Actually, he killed me off first,” Reid shook his head ruefully at the memory. “As far as anyone knows, Stefan Mrazek was killed in the collision of an airport shuttle bus with a stolen van. He is buried not far from Katya Popova in the Russian cemetery several miles from here.”

“What was your new assignment?” Hotch was curious.

“I never found out,” Reid told him. “I don’t know how it happened, but when he told me that I was going to be reassigned, I just lost it. I went berserk, screaming and yelling at him and crying and carrying on at the top of my voice. He didn’t say anything – Just turned and walked out of my hospital room.”

“I was given a sedative and then moved to the psych ward where I spent the next few weeks worrying about whether I was going to end up like my mother,” Reid continued. “It seemed like every time I closed my eyes, all I could see was my coworkers being shot by those gunmen. It was during that time that I received a visit from one of The Colonel’s subordinates, who gave me the warning I told you about. When I was finally released, I didn’t know where to go or what to do. So, I went back to school and began work on my third doctorate. I checked and found out that the trust fund for my mother was still in place, so I left everything alone. I have often wondered whether, technically, I am still employed by the CIA.”

“You went back to the place you knew best and had always felt safe in,” Hotch said slowly. “I can understand that. I know that Gideon spoke with the CIA before he hired you but I always assumed that they had their eye on you, too, and were planning on offering you a job. Now, I know I was wrong about that.”

"Among other things, he was probably checking on my mental stability,” Reid remarked dryly. “And, apparently, I am stable.”

“Well, now that I know what is going on, I need to figure out how to handle the situation,” Hotch glanced at his watch. “However, I think that we both need to try to get a good night’s sleep first. Tomorrow morning, we can discuss how we are going to keep you from being recognized during the next few days.”

“I can stay on the case?” Reid asked surprised.

“Of course,” Hotch assured him. “But, under one condition.”

“That is?”

“You get rid of that horrible looking tweed jacket!”


	8. Chapter 8

“Garcia, I have some things I need you to check out.” It was early the next morning and Hotch was alone in his hotel room talking with the computer tech via his cell phone.

“Anything to help catch this sicko and get my team safely home,” Garcia assured him cheerfully.

“Well - This doesn’t exactly have anything to do with the case,” Hotch confessed. “It has to do with – Can you get into any of the CIA’s files?”

“The CIA?” Garcia squeaked. “Oh, Sir – You have no idea how long I have been waiting for you to ask me to do something like that! Just tell me what you need and I will go shopping through those files like I am at the mall. Not, of course, that I would ever go shopping on Bureau time, but – “

“Garcia!” Hotch interrupted her. “Let me tell you what I need, and then I need for you to be very careful that you don’t get caught – Okay?”

“Okeydokey!” Hotch could hear the smile in her voice. “Just tell me who or what I am looking for!”

**~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~**

“I think we can assume that while all three of the victims were killed by the same person they were killed for different reasons,” Rossi opened the day’s discussion.

It was later the same morning and the team was seated around the conference room table at the police station reviewing the case. Reid and Hotch had been the last to arrive and everyone was relieved to notice that, with the exception of his not having shaved and having a baseball cap pulled low over his eyes, Reid was back to looking more like his usual morning self – Complete with cup of overly sweetened coffee.

“What if they all saw or heard something they shouldn’t have, but at different times and in different places?” JJ suggested.

“That makes sense,” Reid spoke up. “They are all from different areas of Brighton Beach; however, they were all healthy individuals who presumably got around. It is possible that they were all just in the wrong place at the wrong time, but in different places.”

“That would account for the irregular intervals between kills,” Blake observed. “The unsub wasn’t cooling off, they were waiting for a new contract.”

“So, we are looking for a contract killer who is working for – Whom?” Morgan summed up.

“We need to figure out when and where each of these three saw something,” Hotch began. “And, the best place to start is with the most recent victim – Ivan Novotny.”

“Let me call Garcia,” Rossi had his phone out. “She can start checking traffic cams as well as ATM cameras for the past week. Let’s see if we can narrow down the area he was in during the days before he was killed.”

“He was a truck driver,” JJ pointed out. “So he probably covered a lot of territory.”

“Not necessarily. He delivered supplies to stores and businesses so he most likely stayed in the Brighton Beach area,” Reid suggested. “However, that does include Coney Island which is full of shops, restaurants, and lots of tourists.”

“Maybe not so bad right now for the tourists,” JJ suggested. “School hasn’t let out for the summer yet.”

“Garcia,” Rossi was speaking into his phone. “We need your help.”

“Just what I was waiting to hear,” Garcia enthused back. “Point me in the right direction and let me do my stuff!”

“We are trying to track Ivan Novotny’s movements in the week or so before his death,” Rossi explained. “I am thinking traffic cams for his work truck and, maybe, ATM cameras for his personal movements.”

“Can you track his cell phone?” Blake asked.

“Maybe there is GPS tracking on his truck?” Morgan suggested.

“Okay – Okay. All good ideas,” Garcia replied. The team could hear her keyboard clicking. “However, all those are going to take some time. Let me get back to you.”

“Sounds good, Mama,” Morgan called out. “Whenever you’re ready.”

“And Rossi,” Garcia called out. “I just want you to know that I am still checking on whether Petr Fedorovich ever filled in for another mail carrier. However, it appears that some of those old schedules are on an even older computer. So, you will know just as soon as I know.”

“And, Sir,” she added. “I am going to have to talk to you alone in a little while. Is that okay?”

“Just give me a call when you’re ready,” Hotch told her. “And, we’ll talk.”


	9. Chapter 9

“Okay, Garcia, what did you find?” Hotch had found an empty office to use while returning the tech’s phone call.

 **“O-M-G, Fearless Leader,”** Garcia gasped. “You should have warned me about what I was going to find.”

“I wasn’t really sure,” Hotch apologized. “So, I assume – “

“Let’s start with Stefan Mrazek,” Garcia was all business. “As you probably know, he was recruited by the CIA right out of college, mainly because he was fluent in Russian. I checked his picture in the file and, as you also probably know, he is a dead ringer for our resident genius – Right down to his fingerprints. Am I correct to assume that – “

“Yes, Garcia. But, let’s keep it quiet,” Hotch replied. “What else does the file show?”

“The official record includes a death certificate showing that he was killed in an auto accident,” Garcia reported. “However, the CIA file (which I of course know nothing about) indicates that he is still alive and is viewed as a possible asset to be called up if necessary.”

“According to the same official records, Katya Popova and Anatoli Behrs were also killed in the same accident,” Garcia continued. “Newspaper articles at the time describe it as being a hit-and-run involving a stolen white van which ran a red light and colliding with the shuttle. There is no mention of gun toting killers or of anyone named either Dmitry or Elizabeth being involved. That information was strictly confined to the CIA records.”

“However, the same file indicates that there was another undercover agent on that flight. Perhaps it was one of them? I really can’t tell.”

“That’s what I was afraid of,” Hotch sighed. “What about the CIA operative known as The Colonel?”

“There are several individuals with the CIA who could fit that description,” Garcia reported. “However, only one of them could have been in California at the time – Stefan Mrazek – was recruited. His real name is Gerald Ramirez, although it appears that he goes by several pseudonyms. It also appears that he has been disciplined on more than one occasion for not following protocol and/or for violating regulations. And, on at least two occasions, his actions have led to the death of an agent.”

“And he is still working for them?” Hotch was shocked.

“Apparently the higher-ups are more interested in getting the job done than in making sure the rules are being followed,” Garcia offered her opinion.

“What about the Op in question?” Hotch asked.

“That file is double sealed,” Garcia reported. “However, after I am done tracking Ivan Novotny’s movements so you can solve the current case, I will get back to work at unsealing it.”

“Thanks, Garcia,” Hotch told her. “And, thanks for keeping this under the radar.”

“My pleasure, Sir.”


	10. Chapter 10

“I had Garcia check, and there have been three other murders with this same MO on the east coast in the past year,” Morgan reported to the team a short time later.

“So, we do have a contract killer,” Blake concluded. “Is there any information that would lead us to his identity?”

“None of the local PDs involved have any leads,” Morgan explained. “However, now that they have all been notified of the other cases, they are in a position to share information and see if they can narrow down their suspect pool.”

“So, we are looking for someone who can move easily up and down the coast without arousing suspicion,” Rossi summarized. “That would seem to indicate a mode of personal transportation.”

“A nondescript car or van,” JJ suggested.

“They would have had to run surveillance on their victims for at least a day or so beforehand,” Blake assumed. “And, there is a chance someone might have seen them.”

“We need to talk to the victim’s families and/or friends again,” Hotch decided. “Rossi, why don’t you take Blake with you and pay a visit to Petr Fedorovich’s wife?”

“Good idea,” Rossi stood up to leave. “Garcia can’t find where he ever substituted on anyone else’s mail route. Maybe his wife can tell me something about that.”

“Maybe she has remembered something since the last time we spoke with her,” was Blake’s hope as she walked over to join him.

“Morgan, you and JJ can go speak with Maria Anatoly’s husband and mother again,” Hotch continued. “Maybe one of them can give you a list of her usual activities and her friends.”

“If she was home all day, I am sure there are also some trades people she dealt with on a regular basis,” JJ contributed. “We should be able to get a list of those, too.”

“And, I will start with Ivan Novotny’s workplace,” Hotch concluded. “If someone was following him, maybe he noticed them in his rearview mirror or maybe they stood out because of the way they were driving. He most likely would have mentioned something like that to his boss or fellow drivers. And, I think I’ll take Detective Behrs with me.”

“What about me?” Reid asked.

“We need you to add the new murders to your geographic profile,” Hotch told him. “And, when Garcia comes up with the routes driven by Ivan Novotny, you’ll need to add those as well.”

As the other agents filed out of the conference room, Hotch walked over to quietly speak with Reid.

“Spencer, I don’t think I have to tell you not to leave the station,” he said. “And, if you need to leave this room, try to make it a quick trip with very little contact with the locals.”

“Yes, I know,” Reid replied. He looked wistfully towards the doorway. “Although, the coffee pot is out in the squad room.”

“It will probably do you good to cut back on the caffeine.”


	11. Chapter 11

“Thank you for talking with us again, Mrs. Fedorovich.” Blake and Rossi were sitting with the widow in her tidy living room.

“We have a couple of questions we need to ask you,” Rossi added. “And, hopefully, they will bring us a step closer to finding your husband’s murderer.”

“I don’t know what else I can tell you,” the elderly woman replied. “I already told the police everything I know.”

“We’re hoping you’ll be patient with us,” Blake smiled at the woman. “Hopefully, this won’t take long.”

“We are just wondering whether your husband ever substituted on anyone else’s mail route,” Rossi explained. “Particularly in his last few months on the job.”

“Not that I know of,” Mrs. Fedorovich replied slowly. “If he did, wouldn’t that be in the post office’s records?”

“Most likely,” Rossi replied. “However, if he did something like that at the last minute, maybe as a favor for someone?”

“Not that I ever knew of,” was the reply. “The only favors he ever did off the books was when he filled in for Max at the apartment building where he handles the front desk.”

“What apartment building is that?” Blake questioned.

“It’s just a street or two over,” was the woman’s explanation. “I can give you the address if you would like. Petr used to occasionally go over and fill in at the front desk when Max had a doctor’s or dentist’s appointment or something like that. Also, he went over there several times when Max was expecting a delivery of some sort or other. One time he told me that he had helped move some boxes of supplies around.”

**~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~**

“Good Morning Again, Penelope,” Rossi was talking on his cell phone as he and Blake walked over to the apartment building Petr Fedorovich’s wife had given them the address of. “I need you to check out the tenants as well as the front desk attendant of an apartment building I am going to give you the address of.”

“And, if you will also check to see if Ivan Novotny ever made any deliveries there?” Blake spoke up. “This might be the place where everyone’s paths crossed.”

“Okay – Spit out the address and I will begin pursuing the tenants thereof,” Garcia instructed the two agents. “And, if there is something to find, consider it found!”


	12. Chapter 12

“Good Morning, Sir – FBI.” Rossi flashed his credentials at the neatly dressed older man sitting behind the front desk in the apartment building’s airy lobby. Standing slightly behind him, Blake also held up her identification.

“FBI?” the man wrinkled up his nose. “What do you want?”

“We just have some questions for you,” Blake said reassuringly. “I assume you are Max?”

“Yes, Max Cohn,” was the reply. “What can I help you with?”

“We are investigating the murder of Petr Fedorovish,” Rossi told him. “And we understand that he used to help you out here from time to time.”

“Strictly on a friend-to-friend basis,” was the immediate reply. “If any money changed hands – “

“We aren’t interested in any money which may or may not have changed hands,” Blake quickly assured him. “What we are interested in is what areas of the building Mr. Fedorovish may have visited and whether he ever interacted with any of your tenants.”

“Well, when he was filling in for me at the desk here, he would have come into contact with any of the tenants who were coming or going,” Max explained. “And, as for the times he helped me with deliveries, he would have been out back on the loading dock.”

“Mind if we take a look?” Rossi questioned.

“Be my guest,” was the immediate reply. “Just head through that door over there.” Max gestured towards a nondescript door barely visible at the back of the lobby. “I’d go with you, but I’m not supposed to leave my post.”

“We can find our way,” Blake assured him with a smile.

**~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~**

“So, Maria Anatoly was pretty much a home body,” JJ summarized as she and Morgan walked around the old world neighborhood where the woman had lived.

“According to her husband and her mother, she pretty much did all her shopping at the neighborhood stores and attended the church several streets over,” Morgan added as he looked around.

“I would guess that none of these houses have changed hands in at least two generations,” JJ observed. “And that means that if a stranger was in the area someone would have noticed.”

“Let’s walk over to the church,” Morgan suggested. “Maybe we can spot something between here and there.”

“What about members of the congregation?” JJ asked. “I am sure there are people who were raised in the area and moved away but who still come back for services. Particularly during the holidays.”

“Baby Girl,” Morgan had his cell phone out. “We need you to check on the membership of a church in this area.”

“Are you sure that is legal?” Garcia worried. “Freedom of religion and all, you know.”

“We’re not about to interfere with anyone’s freedom of worship,” JJ spoke up. “We’re just trying to find out who frequents this area and whether there is anyone we need to check up on.”

“Okay, listing worshipers even as we speak,” Garcia replied. “Name of the house of worship?”

**~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~**

“So, you’re originally from this area?” Hotch asked Detective Behrs as they walked out to the parking lot.

“Brighton Beach born and bred - On both sides of my family,” the detective declared. “My ancestors moved in and nobody ever moved out,” he ended with a chuckle.

The detective climbed into the passenger seat of the FBI SUV while Hotch slid in behind the wheel.

“You’re 100% Russian, then,” Hotch guessed as he started the vehicle.

“Only 50%,” was the reply. “The other 50%, on my mother’s side, is Polish. That’s the group that originally settled around here. The Russians are a more recent addition.”

“But, still, you are related to a lot of the people in the area,” Hotch persisted.

“Oh, yes,” was the easy reply. “And the ones I’m not related to I know because I went to school either with them or with members of their family.”

“How about if you do the talking, then?” Hotch suggested as he drove towards the parking lot’s exit. “While I just stand in the background and observe.”

“That’s probably a good idea,” the detective agreed. “The people around here are much more likely to talk to someone they know.”

“And, I just have to say that I can’t get over the feeling that I know your Dr. Reid from somewhere,” he continued. “But I can’t place him.”

“Dr. Reid does publish a lot,” Hotch explained. “Maybe you saw his picture attached to one of his articles.”

“You’re probably right. Now, you are going to turn right at the next corner and the trucking company is immediately on your right.”


	13. Chapter 13

“So, Garcia, what have you found?” Rossi had the computer tech on speakerphone as the team sat around the conference room table eating a take-out lunch.

“And, you are on speaker,” Morgan added.

“Thanks for letting me know,” Garcia’s voice came out of the speaker. “Not that I would ever say anything inappropriate, but you know – “

“What did you find, Garcia?” Hotch repeated the question.

“All right,” Garcia began her report. “It would appear that the apartment building Rossi and Blake visited is the point where all three of our victims’ lives intersected.”

“Petr Fedorovish, our retired letter carrier, helped out in the lobby there as well as helping unload deliveries made to the loading dock. Ivan Novotny made deliveries there, both for the tenants and for the building itself. And, finally, Maria Anatoly had friends who lived in the building and I think we can assume that she visited them there.”

“The question now is ‘What did each of them see or hear while they were in the building?’ “, JJ asked.

“Garcia, who owns the building?” Reid spoke up.

“I am one step ahead of you on that one my favorite genius,” was the reply. “The building which, incidentally, was built approximately 20 years ago, is owned by a real estate holding company which is owned by an investment company, which in turn is owned by – “

“We get the picture,” Rossi interrupted. “Can you tell us who or what is at the bottom of the pile?”

“Well, it took some digging,” Garcia replied. “But the ultimate owner is an offshore corporation, The Friendly Far East Trading Company, which is wholly owned by the Brodsky family of Brighton Beach, Brooklyn, New York City, U.S. of A.”

“That sounds like a lovely group,” Rossi observed dryly.

“A regular family run business,” Blake added.

“Garcia, what can you tell us about the Brodsky family?” JJ asked.

“I was afraid you were going to ask that,” Garcia replied.


	14. Chapter 14

“May I direct your attention to the pictures which I have just sent to your iPads,” Garcia told the team. “But, first, let me warn you that if you have just eaten looking may not be the best thing to do.”

“I see what you mean,” Rossi was holding his screen at a distance and squinting at it.

“Not what I would care to stumble across in a dark ally, or any place else for that matter,” Morgan contributed.

“Are these even human?” JJ questioned, her face twisted in disgust.

“What can you tell us about these pictures?” Hotch asked.

“Those are the disarticulated remains of several individuals who apparently crossed paths with the Brodsky family – And not in a good way,” Garcia replied. “The plastic garbage bags their – parts - were packed into washed ashore on a beach not too far from where you are now. All individuals have been identified and their names are in the file I sent you and please don’t ask me to look them up again because those pictures are attached to their files.”

“This appears to be quite a change,” Blake observed. “From a massacre of this type to the neat, tidy killings of the last three victims.”

“Maybe they changed hit men?” Rossi suggested sarcastically.

“A cost saving measure, perhaps?” JJ proposed blithely. “Things are tough all over.”

“Dirty deeds done dirt cheap,” Garcia intoned.

“More likely these were designed to send a message to someone while the others were just cleaning up loose ends,” was Morgan’s opinion.

“Reid?” Hotch looked over at the young agent who was staring intently at the pictures. “Reid?”

“I think – I think I need to go outside.” Reid stood up, knocking over the chair he had been sitting in, and rushed out the door.

“Spence?” JJ stood up to go after him. “Spence?”

“I had better go,” Hotch motioned her to sit back down. “I suspect I already know part of what is going on.”

“We’ll keep reviewing the case with Garcia’s input,” Rossi suggested. “You go talk with Reid.”

**~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~**

“Spencer, talk to me.” Hotch had found Reid in the parking lot, leaning against one of the Bureau’s SUVs with his eyes closed, breathing hard. “You saw something in one of those pictures – What was it?”

“When I was originally – Recruited - By the CIA,” Reid opened his eyes to look at Hotch. “There were several other students who were also being recruited. We were never in the same room together so we never talked or even met, but I did get a glimpse of them from time to time.“

“One of the – bodies – in those pictures looked just like one of the other students. And, another one looked like Dmitry - The flight attendant from the plane.”

“You have a good eye as well as an excellent memory, Dr. Reid.” The deep voice came from the other side of the SUV. “Those are going to be useful in the coming weeks.”

As the hulking man strode around the SUV to where the two agents were standing, there was no question in Hotch’s mind as to who he was.


	15. Chapter 15

“You were specifically ordered not to discuss any of this,” the man glared at Reid. “Not at any time and not with anyone.”

“You may call me The Colonel, and I am here to claim my agent,” the man declared peremptorily as he held out his hand for Hotch to shake.

“Gerald Ramirez,” Hotch purposely ignored the hand. “And, I do have clearance.”

“I was told your people were good,” the man put his hand down and smirked. “And, you may have clearance, but it only goes so far.”

“It goes far enough,” Hotch replied calmly. “And, as for claiming your agent, Dr. Reid works for the FBI now.”

“That may be what you think.” The man could match Hotch in the non-blinking category, but on him it looked reptilian. “But, he was never released by the CIA.”

“Agent Gideon took care of it,” Hotch sounded confident.

“You have no evidence of that, and Agent Jason Gideon is dead,” the man pointed out.

“Jason Gideon was no fool,” Hotch stated. “And, I am sure there is something out there somewhere. In the meantime, Dr. Reid stays with me.”

“We’ll see about that,” the man warned as he took out his cell phone and began dialing.

“Yes, we will,” Hotch also had his phone out. “And, right now, Dr. Reid and I will be going back inside the station. I assume we will be hearing from you.”

Hotch began herding Reid back towards the station where, he noticed gratefully, JJ was standing in the doorway waiting for them.

“Chief Cruz,” Hotch spoke into his phone. “We seem to have a problem and it involves the CIA.”

**~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~**

“Spence, what’s wrong? You’re shaking.” JJ put her arm around her friend and pulled him close. “Let’s get you back to the conference room.”

“Coffee, with lots of sugar,” Morgan immediately recommended upon seeing his colleague. “You look like you are going into shock.” Morgan hurried out into the squad room with its coffee maker.

“Sit down, Kiddo. You look like you have seen a ghost.” Rossi quickly pulled out a chair for Reid to sit in.

“Agent Hotchner, what is going on?” Detective Behrs had followed the small group back into the conference room. “Who was that man?”

“Close the door,” Hotch ordered the detective. “And, you can stay in here with us. You need to hear this. Blake, call Garcia and tell her to make certain she is on a secure feed. We need to have a talk.”


	16. Chapter 16

“What?” Morgan exclaimed when Hotch, with help from Reid, had finished telling the story. “Man, you mean to tell me that you worked undercover for the CIA?” He stared unbelievingly at Reid.

“Not very successfully,” Reid muttered unhappily as he stared at his hands as they lay entwined on the table in front of him.

 **“They sent an untrained civilian out to spy on the Russians?!?”** Rossi was beyond outraged.

“Can they really do that?” JJ worried. “Take Spence away from us, I mean?”

“The CIA can’t even think about taking 187 away from us!” Garcia declared angrily. “If they do I’ll – I’ll – Crash their computers – Or – Or - I’ll cancel their credit cards – Or – Or – I’ll think of something!”

“What I need you to do, Garcia, is to search for evidence that Gideon managed to free Reid from the CIA’s claim on him,” Hotch instructed. “Jason was no fool and I am sure there is something out there somewhere. If you need to, get Matt Cruz involved. I have already spoken to him.”

“You have it, Sir. I’m on it even as we speak,” Garcia assured him. “And, just to make sure, I do have your permission to do whatever it takes to find the information you need - Right?”

“Whatever it takes,” Hotch repeated the words as the tech signed off.

“Andy was my older brother,” Detective Behrs told Reid. “And, that’s where I recognized you from. I saw you one time when I went to pick him up after he got home from a flight. My parents always thought there was something funny about the accident that killed him and, apparently, they were right.”

“I really liked your brother,” Reid replied slowly. “My guess is that he moved me to first class on that last flight because of something he either heard or saw. And, whatever it was, that’s why he was killed.”

“Okay,” the detective took a deep breath and looked over at Hotc. “What do we need to do to catch the **SOBs** who killed my brother?”

“First of all, we are going to continue working this case,” Hotch told everyone. “Assuming that the Brodskys are behind these murders, that will give us an excuse to go digging into their organization.”

“Next, we need to find out why the CIA is so interested in our investigation that they want to take Reid away from us. Either they think we are on to something or there is some connection to his ‘adventure’ during his time with them. We also need to find out whether they had any other undercover operatives investigating that smuggling ring. Garcia thinks so, but she can’t find anything definite.”

“I can get started on that,” JJ volunteered. “Let me call my friend over at the State Department and see what he can tell me.”

“Good – Do that,” Hotch said as JJ pulled out her cell phone and walked to the far side of the room.

“Finally, we need to get Garcia to dig deeper into this offshore company and find out exactly what it is involved in – Whether it’s smuggling or illegal arms dealing or whatever,” Hotch concluded. He looked around at the group. “Anything else?”

“There is one more item,” Blake spoke up. “Spencer.” She looked over at him.

“Me?” Reid questioned.

“Yes, You,” Blake replied. “We need to arrange protection for you – Invisible is probably best, but still there. If someone recognizes you and comes after you, we need to be in a position to grab them and bring them in for questioning.”

“Good point,” Rossi agreed. “We can’t risk losing him to the Russians, let alone to the CIA.”

“You think the CIA might try grabbing him?” Morgan asked.

“Why not?” Rossi replied. “They obviously want him and even though he is on U.S. soil – “

“Blake’s right,” Hotch agreed. “Reid, it looks like you are going to have a protection detail – Whether you want it or not.”

“Blake, you speak some Russian and, Morgan, you can help her out,” he continued. “Work something out between the two of you. And, Reid, you are going to have me for a roommate tonight.”

“What about me?” Detective Behrs asked. “Maybe I can’t profile people like you can, but I know the people around here. While they may not open up to a stranger, they might to someone from the neighborhood.”

“Detective, are you married?” Rossi asked curiously.

“Divorced,” was the reply.

“Good,” Rossi told him. “Because tonight you and I are going to be taking in the sights. You are going to be hitting all the local watering holes, showing them to your out-of-town guest. I am sure someone around here has seen something.”

“That might work,” Behrs said thoughtfully. “As I said, I know the locals and, if I ask the right questions, I just might get the right answers.”

“Hey, Rossi, how come you get to go out trolling?” Morgan interrupted. “What about me?”

“No offense,” Rossi replied. “But you have ‘Cop’ written all over you. I think I might blend in a little better.”

“Besides, I’ll need your help on ‘Reid Protection Detail’,” Blake reminded him. “Heaven knows, if the CIA comes after him I won’t be able to withstand them all by myself!”

“Great!” Reid muttered, holding his head in his hands. “Now I’m going to be a ‘project’.”

“Maybe – maybe not,” JJ walked back into the room. “I may have an idea of what is going on.”


	17. Chapter 17

“Electronic components?” Morgan repeated. “Like for a video game?”

JJ had just finished explaining the information she had received and the team was going over the details.

“That’s what my friend tells me,” JJ confirmed. “Apparently, there are specialized components that have multiple uses and while there are restrictions on how many can be purchased at one time, or over a period of time, there are ways of getting around that. And, that is why Homeland Security is investigating The Friendly Far East Trading Company.”

“It appears that they have been buying these restricted parts in small increments from multiple sources,” she continued. “And, once a large enough quantity has been accumulated, they are selling them off to the highest bidder, with the monetary part of the transaction being handled by an offshore bank. Homeland just hasn’t been able to put enough pieces together to start making arrests.”

“So, these guys have found a way to purchase these restricted parts without raising suspicions,” Blake summarized.

“Then they consolidate them into a larger shipment for export,” Hotch added thoughtfully.

“They could be doing that at the apartment building at night when Max isn’t on duty,” Rossi suggested. “And, despite what Garcia has found, they could be using tenants from the building to do the work.”

“And then they ship them out and hope that Customs doesn’t catch them,” Morgan concluded.

“Is there any indication that they are bribing Customs Inspectors?” he added.

“With approximately $179.2 billion in exports being shipped out of the U.S. each year, they probably don’t have to bribe anyone,” Reid informed him. “The Customs Inspectors can’t possibly keep up with that volume and it is to be assumed that a lot of things slip through.”

“And, I am certain that these parts aren’t the only thing that the Brodsky family is slipping past Customs,” Hotch said thoughtfully. “I just have a feeling there is more to this investigation than just these electronic components.”

“I would hate to think that my brother was killed because of a bunch of computer parts,” Detective Behrs added. “There has to be something more.”

“Well, that was all my friend at the State Department was willing to talk about,” JJ told them. “That doesn’t mean that there isn’t something else involved.”

“We still haven’t identified the contract killer/unsub,” Morgan pointed out. “That hired killer and his long, skinny weapon are still out there somewhere. Maybe, when we find him, he will be able to cue us into what is really going on.”

“We’re going to keep looking for him,” Hotch assured everyone. “But, we are also going to be keeping our eyes open for anything else we may run into. My gut tells me that the CIA wants Reid for something other than his eidetic memory.”

“So,” Morgan grinned over at Reid. “Protection detail is still on?”


	18. Chapter 18

“Okay - We can assume that all three of our victims either heard or saw something in the apartment building,” JJ stated. “The question is what and/or who?”

“Garcia ran an initial search on the tenants,” Hotch reported. “And, she basically came up empty. She is going to go back and take a closer look at them and at their families.”

“If the Brodsky family was stockpiling electronic components, they would need a place to keep them,” Blake was thinking. “And there was a rather large storage area next to the loading dock that Rossi and I looked at.”

“Overall, the parts themselves wouldn’t take up much space,” Reid said thoughtfully. “Mostly it would be the packing materials.”

“The parts would need to be repacked into overseas shipping containers with deceptive labels before they were shipped,” JJ said. “Was there enough room there for an operation like that?”

“Definitely,” Rossi told her. “And, having the newly packed boxes picked up wouldn’t be a problem. The freight company could just back up to the dock.”

“So, maybe, Petr Fedorovich saw what was in one or more of the boxes he helped unload,” Morgan hypothesized. “Or maybe Ivan Novotny saw what was in the boxes he delivered.” 

“And, possibly, one of them mentioned it to Maria Anatoly,” JJ carried it a step further.

“And that was why they were killed,” Detective Behrs concluded. “Now, how do we find this murderer?”

“Let’s start with what we know about contract killers,” Hotch suggested. “Reid?” He looked over at him.

“Contract killers are difficult to categorize, as there is usually no psychopathy,” Reid began. “A contract killer’s motive may simply be money, underworld fame, or notoriety, or a combination of the three. In rare cases, a contract killer (such as Vincent Perotta) may display psychopathic behavior or pleasure when killing. Contract killers like that are less likely to demand large sums of money for their ‘work’, seeing the act as a reward in itself.”

“So, a contract killer is basically a nondescript looking person out to make money,” Detective Behrs summarized. “That’s not much help.”

“From that point of view, maybe not,” Rossi agreed. “However, you are forgetting that in the majority of cases the contract killer is a stranger in the area where his victim resides. And that alone can make him stand out.”

Rossi checked his watch. “And that, Detective, is why you and I are going to be leaving right about now to make the rounds of the local watering holes.” He looked over at Hotch. “You’ll contact me if something comes up?”

“Of course,” Hotch assured him. “We’ll be leaving here ourselves in a little while. We can stop some place for dinner and then head back to the hotel. Reid needs to move his things from his room to mine.”

“Great!”Reid muttered. “I’m going to have a baby sitter.”

“Think of it more as a guardian angel,” JJ suggested with a smile. 

“I am going to have to remember to tell that one to Garcia,” Morgan grinned.


	19. Chapter 19

At the first stop Rossi and Detective Behrs (Maybe you had better call me Victor) made, the detective suggested they get something to eat.

“We are going to have to drink at least one beer at every place we go, and I would rather not do that on an empty stomach,” he explained.

“No argument from me,” Rossi assured him. He looked around the old, working class tavern they had just sat down in. “What would you suggest?”

“Leave it to me,” Victor grinned as he stood up. “I happen to know the owner and his wife.” He walked over to the kitchen door, stuck his head through, and began talking to someone.

A short time later an older woman, dressed in a print blouse and dark pair of slacks, walked out of the kitchen and over to their table. The platter she was carrying was filled with what appeared to be steaming packets of dough.

“I hope you like pierogi,” she told Rossi with a smile as she put the food on the table. “These are my own special recipe. And, there is sour cream as well as apple sauce to go with them.”

“I don’t think I have ever had pierogi,” Rossi told her honestly. “But they look and smell delicious.”

“Think of them as Polish ravioli,” Victor smiled. “Without the tomato sauce.”

“And,” he added. “You should be honored. Anna here doesn’t make these for just anyone who walks through the door.”

“I am honored,” Rossi replied as he helped himself to several of the dumplings. “Although I strongly suspect that only the locals know to ask for them.”

“We don’t get many strangers in here,” Anna told him. “You are the first one we have seen in quite a while. So – Enjoy!” She walked back to the kitchen.

“Mission Accomplished!” Rossi declared, as he tasted his ever first pierogi.

“And,” he added as he chewed. “These are delicious!”

**~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~**

The next bar the two men stopped at yielded no useful information as the regulars didn’t seem to have seen any strangers in the area recently. However, at the stop after that –

As Rossi gave their order to the bartender, he noticed a tangle of yarn and some knitting needles lying on the back counter between the liquor bottles.

“You knit?” he asked the woman as she handed over the two beers.

“Yeah,” she admitted. “It gets kind of quiet in here during the afternoons and I like to keep busy. I have a couple of grandkids, as well as some nieces and nephews, so there is always something I can work on.”

“One of the women I work with knits,” Rossi told her, think of Garcia. “A while back she was working on a bathing suit. All I could think of was wet wool. But, I suspect that there are all kinds of synthetic fibers out there today.”

“You’re right about that,” the woman laughed. “Yarn has changed tremendously over the years and so have the needles. These new, light weight aluminum ones in assorted colors are great to work with.”

“Older needles were made of – tempered steel – I would suspect,” Rossi said thoughtfully.

“Oh, yes,” the woman replied. “I still have several pair of my _babushka’s_ needles. They are all shinny from use and the points are  really sharp.” She turned away to take care of another customer.

“Victor,” Rossi said thoughtfully to his companion when he got back to their table. “I think we may be looking for a woman.” He took out his cell phone and pushed a button. “Let me call Hotch and see what he thinks.”

“That’s strange,” he said after a moment. “It went right to voice mail.” He pushed another button. “Let me try Morgan.”

“Voice mail again,” he reported as the two men stood up and quickly headed towards the door.

“Let me drive,” Victor volunteered. “I know the quickest way to the hotel.”


	20. Chapter 20

With Victor behind the wheel, the trip to the hotel was made at lightening speed.

As they pulled up in front of the building, Rossi glanced into the parking lot. “The SUVs aren’t here,” he observed. “Maybe they never made it back to the hotel.”

“Didn’t Agent Hotchner say they were planning on stopping for dinner first?” Victor reminded him. “But, I don’t think he said where.”

“Let me check with the front desk,” Rossi suggested as he vaulted out of the front seat of the car. “Maybe someone there recommended a restaurant to one of the team.” He began running towards the hotel door.

“Agent Rossi,” the clerk at the front desk greeted him as he charged through the door and up to the desk. “You’re the first one of your group back tonight. Is there anything I can help you with?”

“My team was going out to dinner,” Rossi replied. “But, I’m not sure where. Did any of them ask you for a recommendation?”

“Oh, yes,” the clerk smiled at him. “That pretty blond agent did ask earlier today. I told her about _Baba Yaga_ and she seemed to think it would be a good place to go. She said something about one of you guys wanting some borsht.”

“Address?” Rossi asked.

“Not necessary,” Victor was standing behind him. “I know where it is. It’ll be faster if we walk.”

The two men immediately set off at a fast trot down the sidewalk. Several blocks later, when they caught sight of the restaurant’s sign, Rossi slowed down and began surveying the area.

“It’s mostly residential around here,” Victor volunteered when he realized what the agent was doing. “Working class, low crime rate, no one has any security cameras on their property.”

“The parking lot is?” Rossi questioned.

“Around the back,” Victor supplied. “We’ll need to check there first to see if the SUVs are there.”

As they rounded the corner of the restaurant, the first thing the two men saw were two teenaged boys crouched between several vehicles in the middle of the lot.

“Police!” Victor called out as he and Rossi both pulled out their guns. “Stand up and show me your hands!”

“Oh Man, Victor!” one of the teenagers complained as he stood up and put his hands in the air. “We’re not doing anything wrong!”

“We are just trying to help this woman here,” the other added as he also stood up. “I was getting ready to call 911.” He waved a cell phone at the detective.

“Woman?” Rossi sprinted closer to where he could see dark hair spread out over the asphalt. “Blake! Someone call 911!!” He knelt down next to the agent and began checking for a pulse and then moved on to check for injuries.

“I need an ambulance at the _Baba Yaga_ restaurant parking lot!” Victor was barking into his cell phone. “FBI agent down. Not certain what injuries have been sustained. Currently assessing the situation. I will stay on the phone with you.”

Rossi looked up at the two teenagers. “Did you see anyone else around here?” he asked anxiously. “There were five agents in two SUVs.”

“No,” the first one replied.

“But we didn’t really look,” the second added.

“I need you to fan out and search the area,” Rossi ordered. “See if you can spot the SUVs, any other injured people, anything.”

“Injuries?” Victor asked holding his cell phone close to his mouth.

“None that I can find,” Rossi replied. “Her pulse and breathing both appear to be normal. I suspect she was hit on the head and knocked unconscious.”

“Blake,” he tapped her on the side of the face. “Alex – Wake up.”


	21. Chapter 21

“Over here,” one of the teenaged searchers called out. “There’s a black SUV with government plates sitting here. The doors are standing open and it looks like the front end has been bashed in, but I don’t see any people.”

“That means there is one SUV still missing,” Victor hurried over to take a look at the damaged vehicle.

“I need a BOLO issued for a black government SUV,” he spoke into his cell phone. “If anyone sees it, they should approach with caution. It is unknown who is currently in possession of said vehicle and they may be armed and dangerous.”

“Rossi?” Blake was coming around. “Dave – Did you get them? Do they still have them? You need to find Reid and Morgan!” She tried to sit up.

“Whoa – whoa – Alex. Lay still and take it easy,” Rossi easily pushed her back down. “I hear the ambulance pulling into the parking lot. Why don’t you tell me what happened?”

“Hotch and JJ were in the first SUV, and Morgan and I had Reid with us in the second vehicle.” Blake stopped fighting and lay still, thinking. “JJ had the address for the restaurant, so we were following them. Spencer was rattling on excitedly about having some beet borsch. We had both pulled into the parking lot and were looking for parking spaces when a white van came rushing down the aisle between the parked cars and rammed us.”

Two paramedics jumped out of the ambulance and hurried over, setting their equipment down on either side of Blake.

“I am going to have to ask you to move, Sir,” one of them told Rossi. “We need to examine this woman.”

“I’ll move back to give you room,” Rossi compromised. “But, I need to hear what she has to say.” He held up his FBI identification. “She’s an agent, too,” he added.

“Okay,” the second paramedic began flashing a light into Blake’s eyes. “But, try not to upset her.”

“What happened then?” Rossi questioned.

“Three men, dressed in black, wearing ski masks and waving guns, jumped out of the back of the van,” Blake continued. “One of them fired a shot into the air before leveling the gun at Reid, who was sitting in the back seat, and gestured for him to get out of the vehicle. Morgan told him not to, but he opened the door and stepped out anyway. One of the men grabbed him and forced him into the van. As they turned their backs to climb back into the van, Morgan and I both got out and tried to rush them. I ended up unconscious on the ground here and – Where is Morgan?”

“We haven’t found Morgan or Reid,” Rossi told her. “And there is no sign of Hotch, JJ, and the other SUV either.”

“We have found them, or at least Agent Hotchner and Agent Jereau have been located,” Victor was putting his cell phone away as he walked back over. “Apparently they were in an accident about two miles from here. It appears that Agent Hotchner swerved to miss an oncoming vehicle that had run a red light and he hit a utility pole. They have both been taken to the hospital for evaluation.”

“Which is where you are going,” one of the paramedics told Blake. “Just lay still and let us get you onto a gurney and into the ambulance, and we will be on our way.”

“St. Basil’s, right?” Victor guessed.

“That’s right,” was the reply.

“Come on, Dave,” he told Rossi. “I know the way and with me driving we’ll probably get there before these guys do.” He flashed a grin at the paramedics.

“Don’t try anything funny, Victor,” one of the paramedics grinned back. “I still remember that stunt you pulled in fifth grade!”


	22. Chapter 22

“We lost them,” Hotch complained as he sat on the examining table in one of the cubicles in the emergency room. He had put his clothes on and was waiting impatiently to be released from the hospital. “We were right behind them and then we lost them. And, whoever they are, they have Morgan as well as Reid.”

“You’re lucky you’re alive, Aaron,” Rossi pointed out. “What were you thinking, chasing some locals through a residential neighborhood on a dark night?”

“You think they were locals?” Hotch questioned.

“Of course they were,” he answered his own question. “Why else would they risk going down dark side streets between the houses like that? That was an area they were familiar with.”

“That’s the same conclusion I came to,” JJ, also dressed and ready to leave, walked into the cubicle. “That means we are most likely dealing with the Russians.”

“Have you been cleared to leave?” Rossi asked her.

“I’m just fine,” JJ assured him. “Just some bruising from the seatbelt and the shoulder harness. What about you?” She looked at Hotch.

“The same. With the addition of a bump on my forehead from where I hit the steering wheel,” he replied ruefully. “I assume the doctor is finishing up my paperwork so I can get out of here.”

“That just leaves Blake to be cleared,” Rossi informed the two agents. “And, from what I saw, I don’t think she suffered any serious injuries. Just a rather large bump on the back of her head.”

“Your other agent?” A nurse, holding a sheaf of paperwork, walked into the cubicle. “The doctor is finishing with her now and she should be ready to leave shortly. I would strongly advise that all three of you go somewhere where you can get some rest.”

She held the papers out. “Who gets these?” she asked.

“I may as well,” Rossi said as he accepted them. “I seem to be the only one here who is still relatively uninjured.”

“What about Spence and Morgan?” JJ worried. “Has anyone heard anything about them?”

“Not yet,” Rossi was glancing through the paperwork. “But, Victor has an APB out on them and on the white van. However, my guess would be that by this time they probably have changed vehicles.”

“We need to go somewhere where we can sit and talk this through,” Hotch stood up. “Is Blake ready to go yet?”

“Right here,” Blake, sitting in a wheelchair being pushed by Victor, joined the group. “Let’s go back to the station where we can go over the evidence boards. I still think we are missing something.”

“Well, Victor and I may have come up with something,” Rossi told her. “But, let’s wait until we are back at the station before discussing it.”

“We have transportation?” JJ asked. “Our SUV is probably in the impound lot and, from what I saw of the other vehicle, I don’t think it’s drivable either.”

“I’ve already called for back-up,” Victor held up his cell phone. “A couple of the guys who are in the neighborhood will be stopping by to give everyone a lift back to the station. Of course, you will probably have to entertain them on the way with stories of your exploits.”

“Not a problem,” Rossi grinned. “Each of us has a story about their favorite case just waiting to be told.”

**~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~**

“A knitting needle?” JJ asked incredulously. “Would that be strong enough?”

“That would explain the deep, narrow wound that Reid and I saw,” Blake said thoughtfully. “When the coroner gets in this morning, I can give him a call and ask, but it certainly sounds like a possibility.”

“And a woman,” Hotch added. “That is one option we didn’t consider. If she looked innocuous enough, no one would ever suspect her. And someone like that would have no problem getting close to their victim.”

“Not to mention that if she were short enough, that would account for her getting the entry angle right,” Blake added.

“Now, how do we find her?” Victor asked.

“We wait several hours until Garcia wakes up and ask her,” Rossi replied. “She knits and she can probably give us some suggestions on how to go about finding a knitter who also just happens to be a contract killer.”

“You are assuming that she actually knits,” Victor pointed out. “She might just carry the materials around with her and never actually use them.”

“That would be too conspicuous,” JJ explained. “In order to maintain her cover, she would have to occasionally take everything out and actually do some knitting.”

“I don’t know how you guys do it!” one of the local officers walked into the conference room shaking her head. “Either you are all very good or you just have an abundance of good luck.”

“What?” Hotch questioned.

“Just wait for it - ,” the officer grinned as she looked back at the door.


	23. Chapter 23

“I still say we should have hung around and listened to what they were saying,” Reid was complaining as he and Morgan walked through the door and into the conference room.

“No – We needed to get out of there before anyone realized we had gotten free,” Morgan argued back. “We needed to escape while we had the chance.”

As the team stared in amazement, they noticed that both men were covered in mud and dirt, as well as sporting an assortment of small cuts and bruises. Their clothes were ripped and Reid’s Converse shoes had a hole in the right toe while Morgan’s more practical black work boots were scuffed and muddy.

“Spence – You’re okay!!” JJ ran over and threw her arms around him.

“Morgan?” Hotch was obviously shocked by the sight of the two agents walking into the room apparently unharmed. “What happened – How did you get away?”

“And let me assure you that I am very glad to see the both of you,” he quickly added.

“Never tie a magician up with a rope,” Reid was blushing furiously as he submitted to JJ’s attentions.

“You’re a magician?” Detective Behrs asked.

“They used rope?” Rossi questioned.

“Yes. These guys were definitely old school,” Morgan replied. “No zip ties for them.”

“That’s too bad,” Reid commented thoughtfully. “I could use the practice.”

“And, yes, I do practice a bit of magic,” he added as an afterthought.

“You can get out of zip ties?” Rossi questioned.

“Not quite yet,” was the reply. “But with a little more practice – “

“Okay – What exactly happened?” Blake demanded. “The last thing I remember is being hit on the head and after that – “

“Everybody - Sit down first,” JJ instructed as she gestured towards the table and chairs. “And then you two can tell us all about it.”

“Do either of you need something to drink?” Hotch asked the two escapees.

”I’m good,” Morgan replied as he took a seat. “The officers who picked us up had a couple of extra bottles of water.”

“Reid?” Hotch asked.

“I’m fine,” was the reply.

“Is it okay if I stay for this?” the officer who had escorted the two agents into the conference room asked. “I know I am going to get all kinds of questions when I go back out into the squad room and I would like to be able to give some accurate answers.”

“Have a seat,” Rossi invited her with a smile. “This promises to be a story you can tell your grandkids.”

“Well,” Morgan began, once everyone was sitting around the table. “After Blake and I tried rushing the men who were abducting Reid, she was knocked unconscious and left on the ground while I was pushed into the back of the van along with Reid and restrained. The two of us were tied up with rope, and cloth bags were put over our heads so we couldn’t see anything. After that, it seemed as though we were driving down some side streets. The men who had abducted us were speaking in Russian, so I wasn’t sure what exactly was going on.”

“They were complaining about the fact that they were being followed,” Reid filled in. “And discussing ways of losing their pursuer.”

“That was us,” JJ told him. “We weren’t having any problem keeping you in sight until we had a slight accident.” She looked guiltily at Hotch.

“What then?” Hotch asked.

“After they lost you, I think they doubled back to where they had a second vehicle stashed,” Morgan continued his story. “And, we were moved into it.”

“I could kind of see under the bottom of my bag and I think it was another older van - Burgundy colored instead of white,” Reid contributed.

“I think we were still in a residential area for a while,” Morgan reported. “And then it seemed like we were on a highway or an open road of some sort where the driver could pick up speed.”

“By that time, I had my hands free and was able to start work on Morgan’s,” Reid reported. “It seemed as if no one was paying any attention to us so, after that, it was relatively easy to get our feet untied. They were busy discussing where they were going to take us and the final decision seemed to be _dedushka’s dasha_.”

“Grandpa’s country house?” Blake translated.

“Does that mean anything to you?” Hotch asked Victor. “And, who is ‘Grandpa’?”

“A lot of the families around here have country cottages,” he replied slowly. “As well as beach houses, so there are a lot of possibilities for that. As for who they were calling ‘Grandpa’, again I can think of several possibilities.”

“What happened next?” JJ asked curiously.

“As Reid said, it was an old van,” Morgan explained with a smirk. “And, on those older models, the latches on the cargo doors don’t fasten as securely as they do today. So, I just pulled my feet back and gave them a kick.”

“It actually took two kicks,” Reid was a stickler for exactitude. “But, after Morgan got the door open, we just jumped and rolled. We went down a slight incline into a ditch and then got up and ran.”

“I don’t think they even tried to come after us,” Morgan added. “At least it didn’t sound like the van slowed down and/or stopped. By following the highway back the way we had come, we were able to eventually flag down a passing police car.”

“And, here we are,” Reid concluded with a smile.

“As I said earlier, either you are all very good or you just have an abundance of good luck,” the officer repeated with a smile as she stood up to leave. “And, you are right Agent Rossi, this is going to make one heck of a story!”


	24. Chapter 24

“I’m hungry!” Reid suddenly complained. “With all the excitement, we never got to eat dinner and now it is almost time for breakfast.”

“Now that you mention it, I’m hungry too!” Morgan added his voice to the complaint.

“There is no way I can do my best work on an empty stomach,” JJ announced. “So, where are we going?”

“It might be better if we ordered in,” Hotch suggested. “It is entirely possible that there are people out there looking for Reid and Morgan, and we don’t need to risk them being abducted a second time.”

Rossi looked over at Victor. “Any suggestions?” he asked.

“Well, there are several restaurants around here that deliver,” the detective replied. “Why don’t you – “

He was interrupted by a knock at the conference room door and the officer who had just left stuck her head in.

“Stephanie?” Victor asked.

“Sorry for interrupting, but I thought you might want to know that a big, black, official looking SUV just pulled into the parking lot,” she told the group. “And, it looks like there are several men in it.”

 **“What the S#$%^t!”** Hotch spat out. “How did they find out we are here?”

“We need to have them delayed for as long as possible,” Blake told Stephanie. “Can you - ?”

“Over the years I’ve won several tap dancing championships,” Stephanie replied cheerfully. “Believe me when I say I’ll have no problem tap dancing around them.”

“A real song and dance,” Morgan suggested with a grin

“Better than a dog and pony show,” Rossi added.

“We need to get out of here ASAP.” Hotch stood up to leave. “Is there a back door?”

“Of course,” Victor replied. “However, we’ll need to round up some transportation in order to get everyone out of here.”

“That’s what I thought,” Stephanie threw a key ring at him. “I’m driving my mom’s SUV today. You know which one it is.”

“Thanks, Steph,” Victor caught the keys. “This way – Hurry!” He led the way out of the room.

“Stephanie, let me assure you that you will be getting a personally autographed copy of my next book,” Rossi promised as the group hurried out of the room.

**~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~**

“Good morning my favorite crime fighters,” Garcia caroled from the laptop screen. “And, where the heck are you?”

After some debate, Victor had driven the team back to the _Baba Yaga_ restaurant. “I hardly think they will be expecting you to return to the scene of the crime, so to speak,” he had reasoned. “Besides, I know the owners and I am sure they will be happy to make us something for breakfast.”

“Reid, whatever that is that you are eating, it is RED,” Garcia continued. “And that is in no way something that is designated for breakfast.”

“It’s beet borscht,” Reid informed her. “Actually, it’s very good beet borscht. You’d like it. And, it’s more of a burgundy color. I am going to suggest that Rossi get the recipe.”

“Whatever,” Garcia gave a dramatic shiver.

“What have you found, Garcia?” Hotch interrupted her critique of Reid’s choice of breakfast. He himself was eating an omelet while the other members of the group were eating various egg dishes.

“Many strange (or maybe not so strange) and unusual things,” the tech began. “So, why don’t you sit down and hang onto your – borscht – While I tell you about them?”


	25. Chapter 25

“I started by looking for evidence that Gideon had made a deal with the CIA to release Reid to work for the BAU,” Garcia began her report. “Now, after Gideon left, all of his files were archived on another server and it took me a little time to locate them. And, at first, I couldn’t find anything pertaining to Reid and/or the CIA. Then, I started thinking about Gideon and what I knew about him as a person.”

“As you all know, he was quite a bird watcher,” she continued. “And he was immensely proud of his ‘Life List’. So, it would only be natural that he would keep a copy of it on his work computer. Once I started examining it, I noticed two listings with attached files – One for a Russian Warbler and another for a Common Cuckoo.”

“One for Reid and one for The Colonel,” Rossi immediately guessed.

“I’m a warbler?” Reid complained.

“Better than being a cuckoo,” Morgan smirked.

“You are all right about that My Favorite Italian, My Favorite Genius, and My Hot Chocolate Delight,” Garcia cheered. “And, when I opened the attached files I found all the documentation your little hearts could desire concerning the CIA’s relinquishing their claim on Reid – Notes, memos, you name it. There was also some dirt on the colonel which I, of course, never saw but which probably explains why he released Reid. I sent copies to your computer, Sir, and I also sent copies to Chief Cruz. Let them try to take 187 away from us now!!”

“Good work Garcia,” Hotch praised the tech. “I’ll be checking those files just as soon as I’m able to get secure access to them.”

“Now,” he continued. “What have you found on The Friendly Far East Trading Company?”

“I have found that they are suspected of a variety of things,” Garcia announced. “Including, but not limited to, suspected illegal offshore banking activities, possible sale of illegally obtained intelligence information, smuggling of restricted electronic components and, of course, everyone’s favorite, trafficking in illegal drugs. From what I can tell, it would appear that the CIA, as well as Homeland Security and the DOD, is keeping an eye on them and on the Brodsky family.”

“Sounds like it’s getting a little crowded around there,” Rossi observed.

“How can anyone be sure that they are spying on members of the family and not on each other?” Victor asked curiously.

“Good point,” Morgan replied. “And, the short answer is – They can’t. It is entirely possible that they are wasting their time spying on each other.”

“Is there anything that specifically ties them to Reid’s experience with the CIA?” Blake asked.

“Well, I did find one distinct possibility,” Garcia reported. “As Reid suspected, at around the time he was recruited military intelligence was being leaked with said intelligence turning up overseas, in Russia to be exact. And, it seems that each appearance of newly acquired information roughly coincided with a flight into Moscow by the plane Reid was working on. So, the CIA decided to investigate.”

“Garcia,” Hotch interrupted her. “Did you ever get into that file on the Op that The Colonel recruited Reid for?”

“Well – I just may have – accidentally – accessed some protected files,” Garcia replied circumspectly. “And, they just may have been on another computer system for another government agency.”

“We understand, Garcia,” Rossi spoke up. “So, we can assume that this information you are passing on is what The Colonel has sealed up in that file?”

Victor’s cell phone rang and, after checking the screen, he walked over to the far side of the restaurant to answer it.

“Based on what I have found, that would be my assumption,” was Garcia’s reply. “It would appear that – “

“Hey, Guys,” Victor called out as he walked back over to the group. “That call was from Steph on her disposable cell phone. She wanted me to tell you, and I quote, ‘The show is over and they seemed to be awfully interested in locating Dr. Reid’, unquote.”

“I would assume that means that the goon squad is back on the prowl,” Morgan guessed. 

“We probably should keep an eye out for them,” JJ suggested. “Just in case they cruise by here and decide to drop in.”

“If they do find us, we need to keep Reid out of sight while Hotch sets The Colonel straight on who is entitled to his services,” Blake agreed as she looked around the restaurant. 

“Reid?” she called out as she realized she couldn’t see him. “Does anyone know where Reid is?”


	26. Chapter 26

“Reid?” Blake called out again.

“Spence?” JJ added her frantic voice to the call. “Where are you?”

“Don’t tell me you’ve lost My Most Favorite Genius?” Garcia wailed from the computer screen. “Please don’t tell me – “

“I’m right here,” Reid appeared through the door leading to the kitchen. “I’ve been in the kitchen talking with _Babuska_.” An older woman, approximately half his height and speaking to him in rapid Russian, had followed him through the door and into the restaurant.

Blake immediately began grinning.

“What?” Morgan demanded.

“She’s telling him that he’s too skinny and that she needs to fatten him up,” Blake reported with a smile.

“Ma’am, people have been telling him that for years,” Morgan smiled at the tiny woman. “And, believe me, we have been trying to put some weight on him, but it just doesn’t work.”

“Lucky for him,” JJ added ruefully.

“She’s promised to make me bliny with strawberry sauce,” Reid reported cheerfully. “Because strawberries are in season right now. Also coulibiac, if I’ll let her know when I’m coming by. And, Rossi, you really should get her recipe for beet borscht. It’s the best I’ve ever tasted.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Rossi replied as he smiled at the unusual looking couple.

The woman said something more to Reid and his smile disappeared as he quickly replied, slowly shaking his head ‘No’ as he spoke. The woman shook her head sadly and then patted him tenderly on the cheek as she murmured something to him.

“What?” Morgan was surprised at the change in attitude.

“She was telling him that he needs to get a nice girl to settle down with,” Blake reported. “And offering to set him up with the granddaughters of various friends of hers. And then he told her that his girlfriend had been killed in a car accident.”

“He must have really had it bad for Katya,” Morgan said thoughtfully.

“And we never even knew about her,” JJ said mournfully.

“Reid,” Hotch called out. “Please stay in the room here with us. We’ll need to know where you are If we have to leave in a hurry.”

“Okay,” Reid murmured something to Babuska before obediently walking over and taking the seat next to Hotch as she scurried back into the kitchen.

“JJ, if you could keep an eye on the street and the parking lot,” Hotch continued. “Just so we don’t get any unexpected visitors.”

“I’m on it,” JJ assured him as she found a seat where she could see out the front window but couldn’t be seen from the outside.

“And, Victor, you said you had several people in mind who would fit the description of _dedushka_.”

“I can think of three that immediately come to mind,” Victor replied. “And, there is a possible fourth.”

“If you will give those names to Garcia?” Hotch requested, moving away from in front of the computer. “She can do a background check on each of them and see whether they own any isolated property that could be used to conceal prisoners.”

“My Pleasure,” Victor assured him as he moved to where Garcia could easily see him.

“Hello Miss Garcia!” he greeted her cheerfully. “I have been hoping I would have an opportunity to talk with the Goddess Of All Knowing and get to know you. I’m Victor and let me say that I certainly hope that these feds appreciate you. Because, if they don’t - ”

“I like you already!” Garcia replied with a smile. “Now, names please? And, let me warn you, I am going to need details - lots of details.” She batted her eyelids at the detective.


	27. Chapter 27

“Okay, Garcia, we have one last question for you.” Garcia had finished getting Victor’s list of names, flirting outrageously with him while she did so, and Rossi was taking over the laptop.

“Ask and you shall receive,” was her perky response.

“How would one go about locating a knitter?” Rossi asked. “And by that I mean someone who knits.”

“Knits?” Garcia repeated. “You mean with needles and yarn and everything?”

“That’s right,” JJ assured her. “Rossi and Victor seem to think that the murder weapon might be a knitting needle.”

 **“YUK!”** Garcia exclaimed. “It will have you know that that is a direct violation of The Knitter’s Code. When you find this individual – “

“That’s the point, Garcia,” Hotch interrupted. “We need help finding them. What can you suggest?”

“Yarn shops, assuming they are serious knitters,” Garcia began. “A small, local store would definitely notice if someone new came in. And, there are always hobby shops and outlets that carry yarn and other knitting supplies. Of course, if they are ordering their supplies online, that would make them much harder to trace.”

“Let’s start locally,” Blake suggested taking out her cell phone. “I can call up a list of local yarn shops and then JJ and I can begin making the rounds.”

“That is, of course, assuming that either Morgan or Rossi don’t want to handle that,” she continued with a smile.

“As much as I appreciate being considered, I think I’ll leave the interviews to you two ladies,” Rossi quickly replied. “I think you’ll be much less conspicuous.”

“I second that,” Morgan added. “The two of you should definitely do the honors.”

“And, you should probably take the ‘Mom Van’,” Victor added, holding up the keys to the borrowed SUV. “That will help with your cover story.”

“What about all of you?” JJ asked as she accepted the keys. “How will you get around?”

“Don’t worry about us,” Hotch held up his cell phone. “I just got confirmation that The Bureau is sending us two replacement SUVs, and that they are between 15 and 20 minutes out. We’ll be okay.”

“If you insist,” Blake smiled at the men before following JJ out the door.

“Aaron, if those SUVs are on the way, you do know who is going to be close behind them, don’t you?” Rossi asked concerned.

“I’m counting on it,” Hotch replied. “That’s why I didn’t interfere when Blake suggested that she and JJ check out the shops. That way two of our team will be out of the line of fire and available to help if we need it.”

“What do you have in mind, Man?” Morgan questioned.

“I’m hoping to have a few minutes to go over the files Garcia sent me before our uninvited guests arrive,” Hotch explained. “Knowing Jason and his opinion of the CIA, he probably left enough ammunition in them to blow The Colonel’s career sky high.”

“Have at it, then,” Morgan smiled grimly. “I’ll take over as lookout.”


	28. Chapter 28

“Okay, here we go, shop number three,” JJ announced as she found a parking space for the ‘Soccer Mom’ SUV Stephanie had lent them.

“I had no idea there were so many different types of yarn,” Blake commented as she climbed out of the vehicle. “Not to mention all the different kinds of needles.”

“If anything like this ever comes up again, we may need to take a brief tutorial from Penelope,” JJ suggested as the two women walked towards the small shop located in the middle of the strip mall. “I am sure she would be delighted to bring us up to speed.”

“I am sure she would,” Blake agreed as she reached over to open the door. “We are still shopping for a friend?” she asked, verifying their cover story.

“I don’t see why not – That seems to be working,” JJ replied as the two women walked into the store.

“Mrs. Fedorovich?” Blake blurted out when she saw who was standing at the counter paying for some skeins of yarn. “I didn’t know you knitted.”

“I don’t – Not really,” the woman replied. “It has been years. However, ever since Nina Pulinski’s niece, Elizaveta , came to visit and brought her knitting along, I have been thinking that it would be nice to get started again.”

“Nina Pulinski?” Blake questioned. “Isn’t she the neighbor who lives directly across the street from you?”

“No, that’s Maria Gagarin,” was the reply. “Nina used to live three houses down from me. However, these days she lives in the apartment building where my husband used to help out. The one you and Agent Rossi went to yesterday. Our kids used to play together you know.”

“What are you making?” JJ asked curiously.

“I thought I would get started with a simple pair of two needle mittens,” the woman replied with a smile. “And, then, once I remember how to do it, maybe move on to something more involved.”

“What is – Elizaveta –working on?” Blake questioned.

“Oh, this and that,” was the reply. “It looked to me like she was mostly making squares for an afghan. Such pretty colors she had picked out.”

“Do you know how long Elizaveta was planning on staying?” Blake asked nonchalantly. “A friend of mine is always looking for new color combinations for her projects,” she improvised.

“I’m not really sure, Dear,” Mrs. Fedorovich replied. “I can always call Nina and check if you would like.”

“That’s not necessary,” Blake hurriedly assured her. “It was just a thought.”

“Oh dear,” she glanced her watch and then over at JJ. “I didn’t realize how late it is. We really need to get going.”

“Unfortunately,” JJ also glanced at her watch. “We’ll have to come back another time. Nice talking with you.”

As the two women hurried out the door of the yarn shop, JJ was pulling out the keys for the SUV while Blake opened up her phone.

**~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~**

“SSA Aaron Hotchner,” The Colonel was glaring as he stalked into the restaurant followed by several of his men. “It took me a while to locate you and my agent.”

“That was our intent,” Hotch stated blithely. “We are trying to avoid any interference from you and your associates while we work on our case.”

“My agents do what I tell them to do,” was the terse response. “Unlike you and your ‘team’.” He spit the term out as if it were poisonous.

“Now, we are preparing to leave the country immediately and Dr. Reid will be going with us,” he added.

“That’s right, we are a team,” Morgan spoke up. “And, if you attack one of us you have attacked all of us.”

“So all of you are going to stand up to me?” The Colonel asked as his men arrayed themselves behind him.

“No – Not physically,” Hotch stood up from where he and Reid had been sitting and reading the files on the laptop. “We won’t have to.”

“That’s okay – I’m not here to fight,” The Colonel held up his hand in a conciliatory gesture. “If you will just send Dr. Reid with me and my men we can get on with our case and you can go back to chasing Unsubs, or whatever it is that you do.”

“We are not sending Dr. Reid with you,” Morgan declared. “He stays with us.” He moved to stand in front Reid who, in response to a gesture from Hotch, had remained seated.

“There is no reason why we should,” Hotch added. “You made a deal with Jason Gideon – Reid went to the FBI and, in return, Jason kept quiet about the incident with the tribal leaders in Afghanistan.”

“H – h ow ?” The Colonel stuttered, stunned.

“We found the computer files Jason put together on the agreement the two of you made.” Hotch indicated the open laptop. “Complete with memos, the original rough draft of the proposed agreement, and lists of evidence which implicates you in your men’s deaths.”

“You found files?” the CIA agent gasped. “How? We destroyed – I mean I understood that – His computer was searched.”

“You didn’t know Jason Gideon like we knew Jason,” Rossi spoke up. “And, if he went to the trouble of hiding files, there was something in them that deserved to be hidden. Now, you need to make a decision.”

“I would suggest that you make the right one,” Morgan took a step closer to the group of CIA agents. “Or your posse here will be hearing about how your screw-up was responsible for getting several of their predecessors killed.”

“And, you got Katya killed, too,” Reid shouted as he stood up. “She’s dead because of you!”

“It would appear, Agent Hotchner,” The Colonel spoke derisively. “That Dr. Reid is no longer fit for service in my agency. You may have him – In his current hysterical state, we can’t possibly use him. It appears that he has been irreparably damaged.”

He turned to walk out of the restaurant, hesitated, and turned around to look at Reid. “And, just for your information, Dr. Reid, Jason Gideon didn’t know everything.”

“What does he mean by that?” Reid asked helplessly as the CIA goon squad stalked out the door.


	29. Chapter 29

“Hotch,” Blake had her cell phone open and was speaking into it. “Hotch – Please pick up.”

“Any luck?” JJ asked as she maneuvered the SUV through traffic.

“No,” Blake replied. “I keep going to voice mail. Let me try Rossi.” She pushed another speed dial number on her cell.

“Rossi?” she said in reply to his answering the phone. “Thank Goodness! I have been trying to reach Hotch. Is everything okay?”

“You had company?” she questioned. “Who?”

“The CIA found them,” she whispered to JJ.

“Is Spence okay?” JJ immediately asked. “They didn’t take him, did they?”

“No,” Blake was now smiling at the phone. “Spencer is still with us. It appears that Hotch went head-to-head with the Colonel and was able to scare the goon squad off – At least for now.”

“You do have the new SUVs though, don’t you?” Blake asked Rossi. “Good. Because you are going to be taking them for a ride. Let me send over the address, which you already know, and, while the five of you make the drive, I’ll fill you in on the details.”

**~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~**

“Before we go knocking on the door, I have a question for you.” JJ was speaking with Reid as the team, along with several additions from the local police force, was assembling in the hallway a short distance down from Nina Pulinski’s doorway.

“Didn’t you say that when the shuttle you were in was attacked the gunmen took two of the flight attendants with them when they left?” JJ continued.

“Yes,” Reid replied. “Dmitry, who had joined us in Moscow, and Elizabeth, who had flown over and back with us.”

“Isn’t Elizaveta the Russian version of Elizabeth?” JJ asked.

“And you think - ?” Reid didn’t finish the question.

“We don’t know,” Blake assured him. “We just want you to be prepared – Just in case.”

“Let’s do this.” Hotch nodded to Morgan.

Morgan knocked on the apartment door. “Mrs. Pulinski,” he called out. “FBI - I need you to open up.”

After several minutes with no response, Morgan again knocked on the door. Mrs. Pulinski, we know you are in there,” he called out.

“Just a minute – Just a minute.” They could hear the sound of locks being undone. “I’m right here. I can’t move as fast as I used to.”

The door opened revealing an elderly woman in a cotton housedress.

“What can I do for you, Young Man?” she asked Morgan. She looked around at the rest of the group gathered outside her door. “You said you are with the FBI?”

“Yes, Ma’am,” Morgan held up his credentials, as did the others. “Although, some of us are with the Brighton Beach Police Department.”

“I know you,” the woman squinted at one of the police officers. “You’re Maria Orlov’s grandson.”

“Yes, Ma’am,” the man replied. “You and my grandmother are in the same ladies group at church.”

“Now, what can I do for you?” Mrs. Pulinski looked at Morgan.

“If you don’t mind, we would like to come in,” Morgan explained. “Is that alright?”

“I don’t know if there is room in here for all of you.” The woman backed away from the door. “But you are welcome to try.”

“JJ, why don’t you stay out here in the hallway with a couple of the locals?” Hotch said quietly. “Just in case.”

“No problem,” JJ replied as she and several of the officers took up positions in the hallway.

“Mrs. Pulinski, is this your niece?” Rossi had picked up a photograph from where it was sitting on an end table and was examining it.

“Yes, that’s Elizaveta,” the woman responded with a smile. “She’s been here visiting me and helping me out with some things.”

“Reid?” Rossi showed the picture to Reid, who hesitated a moment before dumbly nodding his head ‘Yes’.

Where is your niece now?” Morgan asked.

“She’s in the guest bedroom,” was the reply. ‘Would you like me to get her for you?”

“Maybe we had better get her ourselves,” Morgan suggested as, followed by several police officers, he headed down the hallway.

“Has she done something wrong?” the old woman questioned concerned. “She’s really a nice girl – so quiet and respectful.”

“We don’t know for sure,” Hotch replied. “We just need to find out.”

“Reid,” he added, looking over at the agent. “Why don’t you stay out of sight for now? You can wait in one of the SUVs. We may need the element of surprise later on.”

“Okay,” Reid, still looking stunned, walked out of the apartment.


	30. Chapter 30

“So, you are Elizaveta Woods.” Rossi was in the interrogation room sitting across the table from a middle aged woman dressed in well worn jeans and an equally well worn sweatshirt. He appeared to be focused on a sheet of paper in the file Garcia had prepared for him.

“That’s right,” was the reply. “What is going on here? What am I supposed to have done?”

“We’re not really sure, but we’ll get to that in a moment,” Rossi replied in a soothing voice. “You live at 7357 Forest Lane, Parkview, New York?”

“That’s obviously what your paperwork says,” Elizaveta shot back. “Why are you asking me all of these questions?”

“And you are in Brighton Beach visiting your aunt?” Rossi continued unperturbed.

“That’s where you found me, isn’t it?” was the testy response. “And then you scared poor auntie by arresting me and dragging me down here. Do I need a lawyer?”

“You’re not under arrest,” Rossi reminded her. “We just need your help with something. Do you, by any chance, know Ivan Novotny?” He placed a picture of the victim’s body where she could see it.

“ **ICK** – What is this?” After a glance, the picture was quickly pushed away.

“What about Maria Anatoly?” Another picture landed on the table. “And Petr Fedorovich?” A third picture joined the first two.

 **“YUK! Get that out of here!”** was the only response as the pictures were pushed away.

“How about,” Rossi glanced over at the one-way mirror behind which he knew the team, Victor Behr, and Victor’s captain were standing. “Stefan Mrazek?”

The door to the interrogation room opened and Reid walked into the room. “Hello Elizabeth,” he said quietly.

“Stefan?!?!” The look the woman gave him changed rapidly from scared to surprised to - Rossi wasn’t quite sure how to describe it.

“It appears that you managed to escape your captors,” Reid commented as he walked across the room to sit down next to Rossi.

“What about Dmitry?” he added.

“Dmitry,” the woman shook her head sadly. “If only he would have listened.”

“So, you were the mole,” she looked at Reid. “I should have known. You were just too – Clean and sober – To be real.”

“Dmitry should have listened to you?” Rossi took a guess. “Or to the Brodsky family?”

“Either or Both or - How much do you know?” Elizaveta asked the men.

“About which situation?” Rossi was stalling, trying to get more information from the woman.

“Any of them – All of them,” was her reply.

“I want to make a deal,” Elizaveta suddenly declared. “I am tired of this life and I want out. I’m getting too old for this. I want to be able to just sit quietly somewhere and knit without constantly looking over my shoulder. Can you help me with that?”

“It depends on what you have to offer,” Hotch said as he walked into the room. “Why don’t you give us some idea and then I’ll make a few calls and see what I can line up for you.”


	31. Chapter 31

“So, Elizaveta is our serial killer,” Morgan stated as the team sat in a secluded corner of their newly discovered, now favorite Russian restaurant waiting for their food. It was early afternoon and the team had spent the morning interviewing Elizaveta (handled mostly by Reid and Rossi), bringing the locals up to date (with an emphasis on the help they had received from Victor), and making arrangements for Elizaveta to be put into protective custody.

“Yes – Her and her little knitting needle,” Blake told him.

“Said needle is now in possession of the state crime lab being analyzed,” JJ added. “And there is no telling how many different blood samples they will be able to recover from it.”

“It seems that she and Dmitry were under exclusive contract to the Brodsky family,” Rossi said thoughtfully. “Although, according to her, that’s not the way things started out. She never planned on being a killer.”

“When I first knew her she was just a messenger for The Family,” Reid explained. “However, after Dmitry joined the crew in Moscow, things got out of hand for her. It seems that he was already in ‘the business’ and was the person responsible for Sergey’s disappearance during our layover in Moscow. He needed a way to get into the country and he knew Andy would call him to come in and work if the crew was shorthanded.”

“Did Dmitry know Elizaveta before then?” Morgan asked.

“Not really,” Reid explained. “They had worked on several flights together, but it wasn’t until after they were both grabbed off that shuttle and the head of the Brodsky family assigned them to work together as an assassination team that they really got acquainted.”

“Reid, why don’t you – “ Hotch’s comment was cut short as the door of the restaurant flew open and a mosaic of bright colors burst into the room and charged over to the corner where they were sitting.

“Hello Everyone – I’m Here!!!” the whirlwind enthusiastically greeted the group.

“Garcia?” Hotch questioned.

“Penelope!!” JJ smiled at her.

“Baby Girl – What are you doing here?” Morgan asked.

“I just had to come,” Garcia declared. “It’s not that far and after everything I was hearing and finding out and all, I had to make sure for myself. My Most Favorite Genius is coming home with you, isn’t he?”

“He most certainly is,” Blake assured her with a smile. “Just as soon as we finish wrapping things up here.”

“I was about to suggest that Reid tell everyone the whole story, from the beginning,” Hotch said. “That way –

“Did I miss anything?” Victor asked as he joined them. “After I dropped Penelope off at the door I got a call from the station that I had to take. Everyone there is asking for details.”

“As I was saying,” Hotch patiently began again. “Since Reid and Rossi interviewed Elizaveta, maybe they can tell us the whole story.”

“Complete with all the juicy details,” Garcia demanded as she took the seat Victor held out for her before he took the seat next to her, obvious to the evil looks Morgan was shooting his way.

“Well, I think we can handle that,” Rossi smiled at Reid. “Shall you start or shall I?”

**~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~**

“The CIA was right,” Reid began the story. “There was stolen military intelligence being moved via the flight route I was working. And, the Brodsky family was behind it. Elizaveta was the messenger taking the information over to Russia, but the person bringing the illegal drugs back varied from trip to trip. She thinks that Andy realized that something was going on because during the last several trips he seemed to be poking around and asking questions. She suspects that’s what got him killed.”

“Speaking of the CIA,” Blake looked around the table. “Has anyone heard from our friend The Colonel?”

“Well - l - l - l -,” Garcia began.

“What did you do, Baby Doll?” Morgan smirked.

“I was just thinking that it’s a shame the CIA’s plane got kind of – lost - overseas somewhere,” Garcia ventured.

“Lost?” Victor echoed.

“Well, you know that all the planes in the air at any given time are being tracked on various computer systems,” Garcia explained. “And, it just seems that that particular plane isn’t anywhere to be found on any computer system whatsoever.”

“That’s not going to cause an accident or a crash or anything, is it?” Hotch asked, concerned.

“Oh – No!” was the quick assurance. “I just strongly suspect that said aircraft is currently sitting on the tarmac somewhere – A long way from here - Being completely ignored.”

“You can do that?” Victor questioned in amazement.

“You’d be surprised what she can do,” Rossi grinned. “Strictly on the computer, of course,” he quickly added.

“That’s only a minor exhibition of her skills,” JJ smiled.

“The story?” Blake looked over at Reid.

“Oh, yes, the story,” Reid exchanged glances with Rossi.


	32. Chapter 32

“Well, it seems that on my last trip when the plane landed back in the states the Brodsky family was getting a little nervous about being caught,” Reid continued the story. “So, they decided to clean up some loose ends and line up the necessary staff to start over again. That’s why the shuttle was attacked.”

“After Elizabeth and Dmitry were taken at gunpoint, they were given new identities and a new profession,” Rossi took up the story. “And, they were given an exclusive contract with the Brodsky family. Over the past several years they have traveled all over the world carrying out assassinations. Because they specialized in providing non-violent, natural appearing deaths, with a variety of MOs, they managed to stay under the radar. Elizaveta has provided a partial list of their victims and it is currently being verified.”

“Everything was going just fine until Dmitry got greedy,” Reid told the group. “He took a couple of jobs on the side and the family caught him. Luckily for Elizabeth, they believed her when she told them she didn’t know anything about them. However, that was the end of the line for Dmitry.”

“You said you thought you recognized his – remains – in the pictures I found,” Garcia spoke up. “You were right?”

“Unfortunately,” was Reid’s brief reply. “It seems that _Dedushka_ decided to make an example of him and, apparently, his demise was not pleasant. Also, the suspected CIA operative in their midst was removed at the same time.” Reid sighed. “I had hoped that I was wrong about that.”

“Don’t beat yourself up over that, Man,” Morgan told him. “There is nothing you could have done about it.”

“He knew what he was getting into when he signed on for the job,” Blake pointed out.

“It was then that Elizaveta made her mistake,” Rossi explained. “Whereas before she and Dmitry had specialized in providing low keyed deaths that appeared to be from natural causes, varying their MO from job to job, she now lost her creativity, so to speak. She began using the same kill method, which was obviously murder, repeatedly. And, that is when she caught the eye of the police.”

“And, we were brought in,” Hotch guessed.

“Which made the Brodsky family extremely nervous,” Rossi added.

“Is that why they grabbed the two of you?” Victor asked, looking from Reid to Morgan.

“They didn’t grab me,” Morgan protested. “I was rescuing Reid when – “

“They grabbed you,” Blake interrupted. “I was there and I saw it. You were grabbed.”

“Okay,” Morgan shrugged in resignation while Garcia grinned at him.

“It seems that several of the older family members were concerned about dealing with the FBI,” Reid said. “And, it also appears that at least one of them may have recognized me from before. So, acting independently, they tracked us to the restaurant parking lot and executed an old-style kidnapping. They were planning on taking me somewhere secluded to interrogate me. However, they hadn’t bothered to plan ahead and ended up arguing about where to go. That’s the only reason Morgan and I managed to escape.”

“So, the old timers got you?” Garcia giggled.

“The Grandpa Squad went rogue,” JJ suggested with a grin.

“Some seasoned members of the family,” Rossi sternly corrected the two women. “Who were concerned that they might lose their cushy retirement lifestyle, took matters into their own hands.”

“And, I strongly suspect, they also wanted to avoid the possibility going to jail,” Reid added.

“Elizaveta knew of all of this for a fact?” Morgan questioned.

“Most of it,” Rossi confirmed. “And, some of it she had put together from various pieces of conversations she had overheard.”

“Okay,” Victor spoke up. “This has all been very interesting, but now I have to ask – Who is _Dedushka_? He seems to be at the center of things. Have you discovered his identity?”

Hotch looked at his watch. “Our CI (or Confidential Informant) should be on her way to the temporary safe house where she will be staying for the next couple of days while she is being further debriefed,” he commented. “So, let me give you some background on that.”

“You all know that Elizaveta was visiting her aunt on her father’s side of her family when we found her,” he continued. “And, as it turns out, there was another brother in that family by the name of Pavel. Their father was a major player with the original members of the Brodsky family and, when he passed away, Pavel took over his responsibilities. It wasn’t long after that that there was some serious infighting in the family and, when the smoke cleared, there was a major void in the leadership which Pavel then stepped in to fill it.”

“So Elizaveta’s Uncle Pavel is _Dedushka_?” Victor asked.

“Not any longer,” Hotch responded. “He retired about 18 months ago and moved to the offshore tax haven he helped set up. His son, Alexandre, took over and is currently running the organization.”

“That explains how Elizabeth got involved with everything,” Blake said thoughtfully.

“Yes,” Reid agreed. “Her uncle originally saw how good she was at figuring out puzzles and working various mind game challenges and realized that her abilities could be put to use mapping out how to execute assassinations which wouldn’t raise suspicions. And, he was right – For several years no one ever suspected. She told us about how on one occasion she and Dmitry arranged for one of their victims to appear to have been killed by a poisonous spider bite. When the authorities investigated, they even found the spiders living in their garage.”

“What a waste of talent!” JJ sighed.

“Alexandre Pushkin is _Dedushka_?” Victor asked. “He was on the list of names I gave Penelope to check out.” He shared a smile with the computer tech.

“Now, is there any way he can be definitively linked to the money laundering or any of the other crimes we know he has been involved with?” he continued.

Hotch again glanced at his watch and then took a piece of paper out of his inner jacket pocket. Handing it to Garcia he asked her, “Can you set up your laptop and access this address?”

“Of course,” Garcia assured him. She quickly had the laptop up and running and, when she had made the connection, a voice came through clearly.

“Hey Aaron,” it called out. “You just can’t resist seeing this, can you?”

“Certainly not,” Hotch replied. “You’re about to go in?”

“Hang in there,” the voice assured him. “We are about to pay a visit to your latest unsub.”

“Obviously a live feed,” Morgan observed as Garcia turned the laptop so everyone could see the screen. “I would assume they are getting ready to arrest _Dedushka?”_

“It’s a joint force operation,” Hotch explained. “Because the family’s activities crossed state lines as well as multiple jurisdictions, the FBI is working with the state and local police to arrest whatever guilty parties they can locate this afternoon. Meanwhile, Jack Garrett and his International Response Team will be keeping a very close eye on whoever is living in that offshore tax haven they have created. If anyone tries to leave, they just might find themselves headed for a U.S. jail.”

“Alexandre Pushkin, you are under arrest,” the voice came from the computer’s speaker. “You have the right to remain silent – “

As the team listened to the Miranda Warning being read, Rossi nodded towards the door leading to the restaurant’s kitchen.

“Well, here comes our food,” he observed with a smile.

“It’s always nice to have entertainment while you eat,” Blake added sagely.


	33. Chapter 33

Before the team flew back to Quantico, there was one more thing Reid wanted to do. After purchasing a small bouquet of flowers, he set out alone for the cemetery. Upon entering the mausoleum, he walked slowly down the columbarium aisle, reading the names as he went. When he came to a plaque reading Katya Popova he stopped and stared at it for a moment before putting the flowers into the vase next to the plaque and adding water from the bottle he had brought with him. Then, he glanced at the plaque two rows over and one row up which read Stephan Mrazek. Idly he noticed that there were fresh flowers there also.

Wait A Minute!! Who would have put fresh flowers on his grave? Maybe someone from the flight crew he had worked with, but that would have only been for a year at the most. And, it had been considerably longer than that. Who? That wasn’t even possible, was it?? However, even Elizabeth had thought that there was a second CIA agent on the flight.

Pulling out his cell phone, Reid pushed a well-used speed dial number. “Garcia. I need you to check on someone for me.”

It didn’t take the tech long. “I can tell you that the background I have uncovered is fake. It is just too good to be true, if you know what I mean,” she told him. “However, I don’t know how long it will take me to figure out who posted it and I have no idea of whether or not it will lead me to the real person. Do you really think there is a chance she is still alive?”

“Okay, Garcia. Let’s try something different,” Reid had had time to think. “There is a florist’s tag on the bouquet that was left here. Can get me an address for Vinnie’s Flowers? And, I don’t know, but I need to find out for certain.”

“How could you doubt me, my most favorite living Genius?” Garcia chortled back. “Address and phone number are on their way to your phone. Good Luck!”

**~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~**

Vinnie’s Flowers proved to be a small shop with a man who appeared to be the owner working behind the counter.

“No, I don’t recognize her,” he replied after Reid had first produced his FBI credentials and then shown him the picture of Katya that Garcia had sent him.

“She would be older than this now,” Reid explained. “Maybe with a different haircut?”

“No,” the man was certain. “But, you said that the flowers were at the Eternal Rest Cemetery just down the road?”

“That’s right,” Reid replied. “In the mausoleum.”

“We do have several accounts where we deliver flowers down there on a regular basis,” the man explained. “If you will give me the name of the deceased, I can check and see if the flowers are from one of those.”

It didn’t take long. “Stephan Mrazek,” the man read off the computer screen. “It appears that we have received payment for a year of flower deliveries every year for the past several years.”

“Can you tell me who is ordering and paying for them?” Reid questioned eagerly.

“It looks like a postal money order,” was the considered reply. “With no name indicated.”

“Can you give me the serial number and the date of the last money order?” Reid asked.

**~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~**

“Finding the proper post office is easy. Checking for the security camera footage may be tricky,” Garcia told Reid. He could hear her keyboarding as she spoke to him.

“Okay, here we go. The post office is about 20 miles from where you are now,” Garcia reported. “That would indicate that she lives in the area. Now, let’s hope that that day’s footage hasn’t been recorded over “

It took several minutes, but finally Reid heard the tech declare. “Here we are. Reid, I am sending you a picture. Take a look and see if it is her.”

“That’s her – That’s Katya,” Reid choked out a few minutes later. “Garcia, how do I find her?”

“Already on it,” was the assurance. “I am checking the footage for the parking lot and – There it is – She is getting in a car. Let me track the license plate number.”

“Well, it appears that her name isn’t Katya Popova,” Garcia reported after a few minutes. “No surprise there.”

“What is her name?” Reid asked.

“It is Katherine Lynn Gallimore,” Garcia reported. “And her current address, phone number, and place of employment are on the way. Now, if you need any advice – “

“Thanks, Garcia,” Reid glanced at his phone’s screen as he turned the instrument off.


	34. Chapter 34

Reid stood quietly outside the closed door to the classroom, watching through the window as the teacher moved from desk to desk working with the students. From the way she moved, he could tell that she had been in an accident which had left her with multiple broken bones. But, she seemed to be having no trouble keeping up with the third graders she was entrusted with.

On his drive over, Reid had thought long and hard about how to approach the situation, and had finally called both JJ and Garcia for advice. He nervously shuffled the huge bouquet of colorful flowers from hand to hand and waited for the bell to ring for recess.

As the bell rang, allowing for a break in the day’s studies, the class moved outside onto the playground where Reid was waiting.

**~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~**

“Miss Gallimore - Miss Gallimore!” The young girl Reid had enlisted to help him ran over to her teacher. “The man over there asked me to give these to you.” She excitedly held up the bouquet.

“What man?” Miss Gallimore was instantly on the alert.

“That one,” the girl pointed towards the edge of the playground. “Standing right over there.”

As she looked over, the teacher felt her heart stop – For one minute, for two minutes. There was no way it could be! But, the tousled hair, the glasses - She found herself running towards him.

“It is you!” she gasped as she skidded to a stop. “I don’t know how, but it is you!”

“It certainly is!” was the reply as he gathered her into his arms.

**Fini**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do svidaniya and Bolshoe spasibo (Good Bye and Thank you very much) for taking the time to read and comment on my story. I really appreciate your spending your time with me.


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